A Little Vacation
by DameM
Summary: Upon returning to Kaede's, the inutachi are beyond exhaustion. Shippou pleads with Kaede to do something. What can an old miko do but send them on vacation?
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I did promise a new **Inuyasha** story. Although short, here's the first chapter._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_A Little Vacation_

_Ch. 1_

"Kaede-baachan!"

The old miko looked up from her work as a small kitsune child raced into her hut in a panic. He sailed into her arms without stopping to catch his breath, effectively knocking her own out of her. "Calm down, child. What ails ye, Shippou?"

"Do something! They've all gone crazy!"

"Who are 'they' and what do you want me to do about it?" she questioned, feeling as if she were going to have to pull every detail out of him.

"Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and even Kirara!"

"Perhaps you should start from the beginning." Kaede placed him in her lap, smoothing his hair down gently. Something had certainly frightened the cub.

"We were collecting shards like normal while battling demons and then the girls started smelling funny. Nothing unusual, they always do this time of the moon cycle. Even Kirara which isn't normal. Anyway, mostly male demons started to try to kidnap Kagome and Sango. A few even got as far as making off with them before Inuyasha and Miroku rescued them or the girls exterminated them on their own." Shippou paused to catch his breath, allowing Kaede to slip in a thoughtful,

"Hmm…" She had a pretty good idea the cause of everything but didn't voice her opinion. The fox demon child liked to pretend he was older than he really was. There were some things that he didn't need to know just yet.

"If that wasn't bad enough, Kirara started to try to give me baths and the girls started acting all _motherly _on me."

"I see." It was difficult to keep a straight face. The last thing he needed was to feel that she wasn't taking the situation seriously.

"And to top it off, they stopped to watch a mother rabbit with her babies. They actually _cooed_, Baa-chan! I can see Kagome doing it, but Sango?" Shippou shook his head, clearly perplexed.

Just when Kaede was about to offer her opinion, she heard several voices call for the russet haired boy. Small shoulders flinched as he turned pleading emerald eyes up at her. "You have to _do_ something, _please_."

"You ran away, didn't you?"

Without a hint of guilt, he nodded. "Yeah, when we got close enough to the village, I ran for it."

She didn't get to respond before the door mat was pushed aside and an aggravated half demon glared at the child. "He's here, Kagome!" Inuyasha called over his shoulder before coming into the old priestess' hut. "Shippou, you made Kagome worry."

"I didn't mean to," Shippou said just as the others caught up.

"There you are," Kagome sighed in relief. "I worry when you run off like that."

"I was just headed back here. I know my way."

"We know that Shippou but with all the demons around lately, it's best to stick with the group," Miroku answered, a slight reprimand in his voice.

Kaede raised a brow at this and frowned mentally. The monk was usually content to let the kitsune child run where he wanted. That Miroku off all people objected was troubling. Noticing the shadows under the teens' eyes, she began to worry.

About to comment, she was startled when Kirara transformed and picked Shippou up in her jaws. She carried him over to the bucket of warm water sitting beside the miko and dropped him in. "Kirara!" he protested, sputtering when he came up for air. The water turned murky with dirt.

Seeing the paw prints on her kosode, Kaede made a mental note to scrub the cub's clothes later. "This is troublesome," she murmured and turned to interrogate the others only to find that they had slumped into opposite corners, asleep. They'd paired off, Kagome leaning on Inuyasha's shoulder while Sango used Miroku to prop herself into a sitting position.

"See? I told you something's wrong. Sango would never allow Miroku that close if she was feeling well and Inuyasha only lets Kagome sleep on him when she's exhausted."

"Indeed. Perhaps you should give me more details, Shippou, while you bathe," she said, handing him a bar of soap that Kagome had given her.

"Okay," he agreed although he wasn't happy about washing. Kirara was still in her larger form so there was no escaping. He told her everything he could remember and some things he only thought to be true.

By the time he was curled up in Kirara's fur, Kaede knew that something was really wrong. Four healthy teens should not be so exhausted. The only question that remained was what to do about it. At the moment, she was stumped. It wasn't like they could all take a vacation.

Or could they?

* * *

><p>Dusk came and she was still pondering how she could get the group of adolescents to take some time off and rest when a familiar yet distinctly unsettling aura appeared in the village. Kaede remained where she was, knowing that for once the elder dog demon brother meant no harm.<p>

"Here I stand and yet he does not even wake; how pathetic." The rich baritone of Sesshoumaru's carried to her on the wind and he pushed back her door mat without asking for permission to enter. Tall and regal, the Lord of the Western Lands gazed at his brother with disdain but did not attempt any violence.

"Did you need something, Lord Sesshoumaru?" she asked, feeling Kirara stir next to her. One ruby eye opened to assess the situation before closing again in slumber.

"You believe I need something?" he asked.

"You would not have come otherwise."

"Hn, Rin has been complaining of aching bones. I want to know why."

"Rin?" the old miko asked, curious. Was that not the name of the child he cared for?

"My ward. Do not make me ask again, old woman."

_I see rudeness runs in the family,_ Kaede sighed mentally before answering. "She is likely growing. Ensure that she drinks milk and eats regularly. The growing pains shall pass, I assure you. Is that all?"

"That is all," he affirmed before turning to gaze down at his brother. One red-gold opened and a warning snarl passed Inuyasha's lips softly. "I have no interest in your female, little brother," the elder said scornfully. Turning back to the priestess, Sesshoumaru became grave. "For the safety of your village as well as their own, I would get them far from here. If I can approach without them noticing, so could Naraku."

"I see. I am devising a way now. Thank you for your assessment, Lord Sesshoumaru. It was as I'd supposed."

"Hn. A malnourished pup is not fair game. You will recover, Inuyasha. Nothing and no one will take your life but me." With that last statement he left, his pelt brushing his brother's arm in a seemingly brotherly fashion.

Thinking the last was just her imagination, Kaede went back to trying to figure out how to get the children away from the dangers of the Feudal Era without letting every enemy they had know about their disappearance. Perhaps for once Inuyasha's older brother could be counted on to ward off any retaliation for the moment. Unless she was going entirely senile, his visit had been more than just to find out how to help Rin.

It was almost as if he was worried.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: A handful to thank for reviews: __**Rukia's Reflection**__, __**JadeKurosaki**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**Esha Napoleon**__, __**LadyGeri**__, and __**ShahzysAngelette**__. And thank you to everyone who put this or its author on their lists. I've apparently been really scatterbrained lately. I could have sworn I sent "Thank yous" before now. Anyway, I hope you enjoy chapter two._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_A Little Vacation_

_Ch. 2_

The scent of something cooking brought Inuyasha out of the unintentional deep sleep he'd been in for several hours. Kaede sat stirring a pot of stew, her one good eye closed in thought. A light weight on his shoulder turned his attention to the slumbering miko in his arms and he blushed darkly at the compromising position. Gently moving Kagome so that she was lying flat on the floor, he opened her bag and took out a light blanket to put over her. Taking a discreet sniff to make sure she hadn't awakened, the half demon's sharp nose caught another, entirely unwelcome scent.

"Where is the bastard?" he hissed quietly so that he didn't wake the others.

"He's been here and gone, Inuyasha. I believe that in his own way, he was concerned. That, and he had a question concerning his ward. You know that he despises being in anyone's debt so I assume that giving me advice about your condition was fair trade to him." The elderly priestess looked at him critically and then at the others.

"Keh," the younger Taisho scoffed and helped himself to the stew. "So what did Sesshoumaru have to say for himself?"

"All of you are passed the point of exhaustion and are in need of rest. He came and you didn't even bat an ear. The only time you reacted to his presence was when he checked on you and you thought he was taking an interest in Kagome. If I'm not mistaken, your youkai half was quite close to the surface. He also said that you were malnourished." She had known that the ramen that the futuristic miko brought with her wasn't healthy.

"There hasn't been time to hunt properly. The last time I tried to catch something, Sango got swiped. Kagome was bathing and Miroku was sleeping. The only ones not doing anything at the time were Shippou and Kirara and Kirara's the one that saved Sango." Finishing his meal, Inuyasha set aside his bowl and stood. "Might as well humor the prick. I'll go get some rabbit to add to the stew."

"Would you kindly do me the favor of cutting it up and adding it to the pot when you return? I shall retire for the night. If the others wake, do have them eat."

"Sure, babaa." He checked on his friends once more before leaving to hunt. When he returned, everyone was still asleep and Kaede was just bedding down for the night. Inuyasha had eaten his fill of raw meat before coming back, not wanting to subject anyone to the sight. When his brother had mentioned being malnourished, it had been a hint to eat like a demon for once. And just to make sure that he didn't collapse, he'd taken his _aniki's_ advice.

As quietly as he could, the inu hanyou cut up meat and added it to the pot, stirring it every once in a while to ensure that everything got cooked. It was the middle of the night when the first of his friends woke. Miroku roused slowly, moving Sango gently so as to not wake her and bring her wrath down upon his head for something he didn't do.

"Wondered if any of you would ever wake. Kaede-babaa said to eat," Inuyasha said by way of greeting. He shoved a bowl of stew at the other man and a pair of chopsticks.

"Thank you. Neither of the girls…"

"Out like a light. They haven't moved a muscle since they fell asleep. Neither have Shippou or Kirara, come to think of it." They sat in silence, both eating but not feeling the need to talk.

Having had their fill, Miroku excused himself briefly while Inuyasha cleaned up the mess they'd made. He went to the nearby stream and washed the bowls and utensils before bringing them back near the fire to dry. The monk was gazing at a letter when he did, brows furrowed in confusion. "Inuyasha, is Higurashi not Kagome's family name?" In their time, no one but nobles had last names but the school girl had told them that everyone did in her era.

"Yeah, what about it?" Gold eyes met violet with a questioning stare.

"Well, it seems Kaede-sama has written to Kagome's family." Miroku handed the folded paper over, knowing it must be pretty important if the elderly woman had gone to such lengths.

"If she found it important enough to write it down instead of passing it along verbally through Kagome, then I should go give it to her mother." Turning to go, he didn't pay any attention to the monk's protest.

"Ah, Inuyasha, it's the middle of the…night," the other man finished lamely. Oh, well, the half demon would realize it eventually.

* * *

><p>It was only as he was traveling through the portal that Inuyasha remembered that even though Kagome's time was five hundred years in the future, the <em>time<em> of day was the same. Coming out of the well, he decided to check things out anyway since it had been some time since they'd visited. Kagome would never forgive him if something had happened and he'd been too lazy to go see what was happening. Besides, he could do that without waking anyone.

Padding towards the house, he used his heightened senses to place each member of the family. The squirt was sound asleep, muttering something about goals. With a smirk he figured that had to do with Souta's dream of becoming a soccer star. The boy was almost never without his ball. The old man was snoring loud enough to wake the dead in his room on the first floor while the cat was prowling around the house doing his own inspection. Coming around the back of the house, Inuyasha was surprised to see the light on in the kitchen. Concerned, he glanced in, only to see Kagome's mother sitting at the table drinking a cup of tea.

Tapping lightly on the window, he stepped back when she rushed to answer the door. "Inuyasha, dear, what's wrong…?" she asked hurriedly, anxiety in her eyes. He never knocked at night when he came, just went in her daughter's bedroom window or camped out in the God Tree.

"Nothing, I came to deliver something to you and forgot that it was night here too. Deciding to check things over before I returned, I saw you sitting here. Something the matter?" he asked gruffly, showing his own concern the only way he knew how. Mama Higurashi had never shown her disquiet over their travels.

"Oh, no, dear, I just was having a cup before going to bed. Please, come in and have one with me." She stepped back, allowing the young man inside. He sat across from her, sharp claws gently scraping against the mug of tea when he picked it up. "I often have a cup in the middle of the night when it's quiet. The day is usually so filled with noise that I like to take time to reflect."

A furred ear twitched at her comment, the only sign he gave that he knew there was more to her reasoning than she let on. "The quiet is good," he agreed.

"You said you had something for me?"

"Yeah, Kaede wrote you a letter. It must be pretty important for her not to just pass a message along through Kagome." Taking it out of his haori, Inuyasha handed the letter over with pretend nonchalance.

Mama opened the letter, smoothing out the page so that she could see the characters better. When Kagome had first gone through the well, she had gotten out her old Japanese notebooks from college, and studied the differences, just in case a day came when she would have to read a something from the Feudal Era. It took her several minutes to work through the letter, concern shadowing her normally happy features.

Without a word, she rose and went to the drawer holding her own stationary. Getting out a pen and sheet of paper, she sat back down and looked at her daughter's boyfriend. "What?"

"It seems you and the others have run yourselves ragged, Inuyasha. Kaede-sama is most concerned. She has asked for my help and I will give it gladly. You can't help anyone if you're all too tired to do so much as open your eyes when an enemy appears. It seems that your brother walked right up to you and you did nothing." Mama watched as his ears lowered in chagrin.

"Keh, arrogant as—" Inuyasha started to mutter before cutting himself off. He tried to watch his language around Kagome's mother. "Yeah, I know. He could have killed me if he'd wanted to but Kaede had something he needed so he returned the favor by leaving us alone." Sesshoumaru was bound to rub it in the next time they crossed paths.

"I'm glad you understand the seriousness of the situation." Patting his hand in a motherly fashion, Mama uncapped the pen and wrote one word under the salutation to the elderly priestess:

_Yes_.

Signing it with her name, she allowed the ink a minute to dry before folding the small pink paper and putting a small piece of tape on it to hold it together. Handing it to Inuyasha, she walked him to the door before watching him go back to the well house. "Those poor children," she murmured when she was sure that he'd had enough time to go back. "Well, no time for rest. There's a lot to be done and not a lot of time to do it in. I wonder how he's going to react to Lady Kaede's idea." With a small smile, the Higurashi went about her chores. Knowing the young man as she did, Inuyasha would no doubt complain long and loud about what was to come.

Not that it would do him any good.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: A group to thank for reviews: __**Rukia's Reflection**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**LadyGeri**__, __**ShahzysAngelette**__, __**Esha Napoleon**__, __**Anonymoose13**__, and __**Nocturna Mae**__. And thank you to anyone who put this or its author on their lists._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_A Little Vacation_

_Ch. 3_

Kaede lifted the lid to the ancient chest, pulling out a box that contained what she was looking for. Decades ago a traveler had handed it to her on the way to the coast, telling her that one day she would need its contents. At the time she hadn't really believed the stranger but green eyes had stared her down until she had acquiesced and taken the box, sealed with a sutra she'd never seen before or since. The only thing the traveler had said in regards to the contents was a cryptic remark she hadn't understood.

_"Someday, when heroes sleep before their task is done, use these and renew their strength."_

"Well, let's see if I'm right," the old priestess murmured. Opening the box, a note fell out of the top. Picking it up, she read it, her brow furrowed briefly in confusion. "A spell to send the wearer through time… It is what I thought. But how did the stranger know?"

Gingerly, she picked up the rosaries, noticing that even though years had gone by; they were just as new looking as the day she'd gotten them. Counting them out, she found that they totaled the exact number she needed. "Hmm, it seems that this war was foretold in many places. I wonder if that stranger is still watching."

Saying a brief prayer in thanks, the elderly miko returned to her hut. She'd gotten Higurashi-san's response that morning when she'd woken up. She just hoped the other woman was ready for what was about to descend on her. She might be used to a half dog demon eating her out of house and home but she'd never had _all_ of the inutachi.

Sometimes she thought they were a horde of locusts.

* * *

><p>Souta and his grandfather found the kitchen empty when they went down to breakfast that morning. Every surface seemed to have been washed to within a centimeter of its life, the younger Higurashi even seeing his reflection in the floor. Several lists were out on the table, peaking the elder's curiosity. The amount of food on it would have fed an army. Or just four hungry teens, he mused a moment later seeing the letter from Lady Kaede.<p>

"What in the world happened?" his grandson asked. His stomach was growling and there was no food in sight.

"Well, it seems that we are to have some guests, my boy. Best forget about having breakfast at home today. I'll give you some pocket change to grab a rice ball on your way to school."

"Since when?" he asked, trying to remember if his mother had said anything to them last night about visitors.

"If I'm reading this right, it seems your sister and her friends have gotten themselves into a bit of a jam and need some time to rest away from the Feudal Era."

Souta blinked, the information taking a moment to sink in. "Really? Inu-no-niichan is really coming?"

"Yes, and Miroku-sama, Sango-san, little Shippou, and Sango-san's cat Kirara."

"Oh, cool! Sis says that Kirara can change into this big saber toothed cat. I can't wait!" Excited now and having completely forgotten that he wasn't getting any breakfast from his mother, the younger Higurashi turned to run back upstairs to get dressed. Pausing on the first step, he turned back to his grandfather. "Uh-Oh," he murmured.

"Huh? Did you say something, Souta? I'm old, you know, you have to speak up." The old priest put a hand to his ear, indicating that he hadn't heard what the other male had said.

Souta bit his lip, wondering if he should repeat the thought that he'd just had. "I just thought of something…"

"Yes?"

"Nii-chan's not going to like taking a vacation…" Before his grandfather could respond, he ran upstairs.

Remembering the temper of the dog demon, the remaining member of the Higurashi family winced. Turning to put the kettle on, Higurashi went to get a cup out of the cupboard. After a cup of tea he'd have to go review his insurance policy.

Just to make sure they were up-to-date.

* * *

><p>"No, absolutely <em>not<em>!" The last was said on a high note, Inuyasha's voice breaking on his denial. "We don't have time to waste in the future. We can take a couple of days here and rest." He made the last concession so that they wouldn't think he was ignoring their plight.

The dog demon's friends stared at him in concert, their gazes clearly telling him that that wasn't good enough. "Inuyasha…" the younger miko said, drawing out his name in that way she had that indicated he would soon be making a crater the shape of his body.

"Kagome…" he tried, hoping that he was wrong in this instance.

"No deal!" she started before going on a long rant about why this was the perfect opportunity to get rest and their best option for regaining their lost strength. With a large, indrawn breath she ended with "And that's final!"

"What's final?" he asked blankly, having tuned her out about the time she threatened to cut off his ramen rations.

"We're going! I can catch up on my school work, maybe even get ahead. That would mean I could leave my school books at home." Less weight to her bag meant faster travelling, something he was always all for. "Oh, and sit!" she finished before dropping onto the edge of Kaede's floor, the lecture having tired her out.

"Oi, wench, what was that for?"

"For not listening to me the first time," she returned, pulling Shippou into her arms and squeezing tighter than necessary. The fox child wheezed but didn't protest, figuring that he'd get worse if he tried to get out of her embrace.

"Keh," he scoffed but kept his thoughts to himself. It was probably best that she didn't know it wasn't the first time he'd stopped listening to her long winded speeches.

"I'm in agreement with Kagome," Sango seconded, thinking that if they could cross the time barrier, it was their best chance for getting a decent recovery. She sat next to her friend, patting her back with one hand and gently prying the kitsune cub out of the miko's arms with the other.

Shippou saw the opportunity and scrambled away, alighting on Miroku's shoulder. The monk was gazing thoughtfully into the distance and the half demon was hesitant to ask what was running through the other man's mind. "It would be a nice idea. However, how are we to accomplish that feat? All of us have at one time or another tried to pass through the well, and it hasn't worked once for anyone except Kagome and Inuyasha."

"That is what these are for," the elderly priestess answered, finally getting the chance to put her opinion forth. Inuyasha had immediately protested the suggestion of going to the future for a week or two so she hadn't been able to do anything but give her solution to their dilemma.

All eyes turned to the box in her lap and she'd brought back from the shrine. Within it still lay the rosaries she'd discovered earlier along with the spell that would activate them. "Che, more rosaries. You got one on me, babaa, you aren't getting another."

"Do not be foolish, you can already pass through the Bone Eater's Well. These are for the others. They have been held in trust until such a time." Lifting one out of its container, she spread it out so that they could see the fine work. Gemstones worked into round beads made a chain that could be easily slipped on and off. The white and gold stones glittered in the sunlight coming through the window, making rainbows on the wall.

Kirara came over to study them, gazing briefly at the rainbows before swatting gently at the beads. They swung back and forth, moving the rainbows but otherwise didn't do anything. She repeated the process several times before tiring of the game and jumping into her taijiya's arms.

"As you see, they're nothing but pretty ornaments by themselves, but with this spell, they should allow the wearer to go once through to the future, in this case Kagome's time, and once back here." Kaede held out the spell, letting Miroku take the paper.

"I don't recognize this language."

"Let me see," Kagome said, shifting her position to take it from her friend. "This looks almost like English, or at least it uses the same kinds of letters to make up the words. This word looks like quiet and this other one…" She closed her eyes, trying to figure out what it could mean. "Oh, pugilism. It's a type of fighting. So it must mean to rest and to fight." Proud of herself, she beamed, glancing up at the others.

They stared back at her, confusion their only expression. "Ah, Kagome…" Sango shook her head, indicating that everything she'd said went over their heads.

"Sorry. Okay, English is another language that uses letters, not characters like Japanese." Briefly she wrote out the English alphabet, showing the difference. When they nodded, she went on. "So this word," she said, pointing to the third in the sentence. "Looks like the word for quiet, and you need quiet to rest, right? Then we have the last word, which as I said looks like the English word for a type of fighting. Pugilists or boxers use their fists to fight. Souta likes to watch some of the area high school students do it. I figure that if it refers to fighting, then this spell must be for sending you to the future to rest, and bringing you back to finish fighting Naraku."

"Keh, so you do have some brains in that head of yours," Inuyasha said. "I guess that schooling isn't a complete waste." His backhanded compliment was met with a renewed meeting with the dirt floor, erasing the twenty six letters Kagome had written out for her demonstration.

"So the spell is in English," Kaede mused, wondering when such a foreigner had arrived to their shores.

"No, it only looks like English. If I had to guess, I'd say it was Latin. Doctors and lawyers use it in my time but otherwise, it's pretty much a dead language. Although, a lot of stories about magic had spells and stuff that are supposed to be in Latin. Maybe I should run home and see if the nearby library has a dictionary that could tell us how to pronounce this correctly. I wouldn't want anyone to be sent farther back in time or ahead of time than mine. That would make things difficult," the school girl mused.

"That would be wise," Kaede nodded, not wanting to harm the children. "You can see if your mother is prepared for the six of you in the meantime."

"Great, well, I'll be back in a little while," Kagome said, scribbling down the words from the spell. She'd leave the original here just in case. Shoving her feet into her shoes, she started for the door. Inuyasha followed her out, walking with her to the well.

"Why do you think it's this 'Latin' or whatever?"

Delicate lips pursed in thought and he had to drag his eyes away from the sight. "Gramps has been looking up all these weird diseases to excuse me from school while I'm here. I saw one of the books he'd borrowed the last time I was home. It had these kinds of endings. I could be wrong…"

"I don't think so. Spells always come from dead and ancient languages. It makes them tougher to learn and harder to use. The old guys really liked keeping secrets."

"I'd like to know who gave this to Kaede-sama. Latin is an old Western language. There are no foreigners that would use magic that will be coming here for the next century, at least."

"Don't they use magic outside of Japan?" he questioned, coming to a stop at the dry well.

"Well, I suppose," she agreed hesitantly. "But from what I know of history, the people coming to Japan during this time believe magic is evil. They wouldn't touch it. Kaede-sama said she's had this for decades. Someone must have come to Japan a lot sooner than was recorded. Otherwise, how could this spell have gotten here?" she questioned absently, putting a knee onto the rim.

"Keh, don't think about it now, it'll only give you a headache. Just go see if you can get the right way to pronounce that. The last thing we need is for the others to wind up in a different time period unable to get back. Or worse, make them explode or some other crap. I do not want lecherous monk guts all over me."

Kagome frowned at her protector. "Thanks. I really didn't need that picture in my head."

"Just saying," he said before pushing her over the edge so she couldn't comment further. Or worse, make him sit. The last thing he wanted was to be sat again.

His back hurt enough from the last one.

* * *

><p>Kagome hopped out of the well and raced down the shrine steps, throwing a wave at her grandfather as she sped passed him. Once on the sidewalk, she paused to catch her breath before continuing on, figuring that a middle school girl running down the road at this time of day would attract attention.<p>

The entrance to the local library loomed before her shortly after her arrival in the Modern Era and she went in, hoping that people would think that she was here with the school's permission. No one looked at her for more than a moment and she was thankful that the librarians seemed to be too concerned with getting books back on the shelves to worry about a fifteen year old obviously skipping school. She probably should have changed her clothes first.

"Excuse me," she said quietly, the automatic instinct to drop into a whisper in the library overtaking her. The reference attendant looked up from her work, breaking out in a smile when she noticed the young miko.

"Can I help you, my dear? I didn't know they were letting students out during the middle of the day to do research."

"This is a special project and the school library didn't have what I needed," Kagome said, hoping the half lie wouldn't be caught. The school _didn't_ have anything in Latin but her school definitely wouldn't have let her out. "I need help pronouncing this. I think it's in Latin but I'm not sure." She slid the paper across the wide desk, hoping the worker could just tell her. Librarians were smart, weren't they?

"Oh, my. It is Latin but I'm afraid I couldn't tell you. Hmm…" Dark brown eyes closed momentarily in thought. "I think I may know someone who could help you…" Moving away from her post, the reference librarian motioned her to follow. They wound between stacks of thick and slim books until Kagome was dizzy and pretty sure she was lost. "Ah, there he is. Professor Koto, a moment of your time, please?"

A tall man with black hair and violet eyes glanced up from his books, blinking several times to focus on the young woman. "Yes?" he said, his voice cultured and suave.

_Oh, dear, another Miroku._ Thinking that she'd have to be on her guard, she was surprised when he did nothing but look at her in inquiry. "Ano…"

"This is Professor Koto of Tokyo University. He's an expert on languages. Sir, could you help this student out? She's run across some Latin and doesn't know how to pronounce it."

"Of course, always happy to aid future scholars." He held out his hand and she noticed that he wore a wedding band. She handed him the slip of paper and he frowned briefly. "This is quite unique. It's pronounced, '_Eas in quietem, praeterita pugnare_.' Simply put, it means 'The future to rest, the past to fight.'"

"I was right! Cool." Bowing, she thanked both adults and left the library after getting lost in the stacks twice more.

The librarian watched the student go, her eyes thoughtful. "You know, Professor, she reminds me of someone."

"I imagine she does," he answered, his voice lighter than when he'd spoken with Kagome.

"Oh, well. By the way, it's almost eleven. You told me to make sure you were out of here by then." She watched panic bloom in his eyes and chuckled when he packed up in a rush. Koto was a dear man and a delight to talk to. It was really too bad that he was married.

* * *

><p>Kagome cheered silently in between running the pronunciation of the spell over and over so that she didn't forget it. She rather thought that she'd done a pretty good job translating a language that she'd never studied before. "Wait until I tell the others."<p>

Higurashi-san was right where his granddaughter had left him, this time talking to a visitor. He waved to her again, not paying any attention to her answer. This was just as well as he wouldn't have gotten one.

Bursting into the house, she called to her mother, expecting her to be preparing to make lunch. "Mama, are you ready for us?"

"Kagome-chan? Is that you? Oh, please say that it's just you," she returned, her second cup of tea just being poured.

The young miko took a moment to stare at the immaculate kitchen before nodding. "Yeah, it's just me. I came to do a little research and ask if you were ready. I take it you're not?"

"I have to go get groceries, but otherwise, I'm as ready as I'm going to get." The matriarch smiled at her daughter who was scribbling something down on a piece of paper she had with her. "Thankfully, I called in an order and it'll be waiting for me soon."

"You stayed up all night cleaning again, didn't you?" Kagome questioned. Her mother had done that once before when they'd had a visiting priest from a shrine in Kyoto.

"These are special guests coming, dear. Of course I wanted everything in order. Now then, I have some clothes that the others can change into just in case. Your grandfather seems to think that there are going to be a lot of people coming and I would rather that no one look at the old well house too closely."

"Great idea. I'll just go change and bring them to the others. By the time we get ready on that side, you should be okay here, right?"

"Yes, most likely," her mother answer. "Kagome," she stalled her daughter, laying a hand on the younger woman's arm. "You've exhausted yourself. Please take it easy going back."

Kagome smiled and nodded. "I will, Mama. Don't worry, Inuyasha's waiting for me. He won't let anything happen to me." Mama watched her go upstairs and sighed. Demon protector or not, a mother would always worry about her child.

Taking one last sip of her tea, the elder female grabbed her purse and keys. Going outside, she stopped briefly to talk to her father-in-law before going on to the store. Maybe if she delayed long enough, she could get two strong, young men to carry the bags up the steps.

There was always hope.

* * *

><p><em>AN: The Latin translation was provided by __**Google Translator**__, so I apologize it any part of it is incorrect. Since Latin seems to be making a comeback in schools, feel free to give me a better translation, if you have one._


	4. Chapter 4

_A/N: Only a handful to thank this time: __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**Nocturna Mae**__, __**AuthoressAurora17**__, __**Rukia's Reflection**__, and __**Esha Napoleon**__. And thank you to anyone who added this or its author to their lists._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_A Little Vacation_

_Ch. 4_

Kagome returned to the past with the clothing and spell pronunciation clutched tightly in her hand. The others looked up with curiosity when she entered Kaede's hut, Shippou taking an immediate interest in what was in the bags. "Okay, I have it. Mama sent some clothes too because the shrine might be busy this time of day. It might appear odd if you all came out of the well house in period clothing with weapons that are clearly not fakes."

"Is your mother ready for you all?" Kaede asked, taking the slip of paper from the younger priestess. She had to turn it on its side so that she could figure out what it meant. Kagome's handwriting apparently got sloppy when she was in a hurry.

"Almost, she's on her way to the store to pick up more food. By the time we get the rosaries charmed and everyone's clothing changed, she should be all set." Kagome picked up the smallest and motioned for Shippou to come to her. "Let's see what she got you." Pulling out the shirt, she smiled when a small cartoon fox grinned cheekily back at her.

"Keh, Higurashi-okaasan's got a sense of humor." The others chuckled at the design, thinking it very appropriate.

"Mama must have looked all over for this." Matching jeans came out next, a small hole worked into the back to accommodate Shippou's tale. "Go put these on this way and I'll help you do the fasteners." The kitsune child ran behind Kaede's broader back to change. When he came out, the legs were trailing and he was holding the waist band up, a frown crinkling his forehead.

Sango and Kagome giggled, earning a sulky expression from the little boy while the former hurried to rectify the situation. When she went to button his pants, she found that Shippou had gotten a bit of gut on him. "Suck in your stomach, Shippou. It seems someone has been eating too many sweets and not getting enough exercise." The cub did as he was told, standing still so that she didn't pinch him. "Okay, all set. What do you think?" she asked, pulling out her hand mirror so that he could get a look.

"It's neat, Kagome."

The miko smiled before turning to her other friends. "All right, who's next?" she asked standing up.

Sango and Inuyasha exchanged a look before pushing Miroku forward. The monk stumbled and took the bag of clothes held out by his young friend. "Thanks, guys," he said sarcastically and went to the storage building nearby.

Each took their turn, earning odd looks from the villagers and giggles from each other. Sango was the last to change, fussing at the tight fit of the jeans. "Kagome…"

"Don't worry; we'll go shopping after we get there, Sango. Those are mine and I know that your hips are more developed than mine," Kagome reassured when the guys weren't looking. "They're better than the dresses I own in terms of modesty. Mama probably thought you'd be more comfortable in clothes that covered your legs."

Together they watched Miroku and Inuyasha as they tried fighting stances in the new modern clothes. "And safer for my chastity," Sango mused, Kirara agreeing with a mew.

"Sad, but true."

Kaede chuckled from next to them, clearing her throat to get everyone's attention. "If you're ready, children. I will place the spell on the rosaries and place them over your heads. It's best if you don't remove them until you return, just in case."

"Yes, Kaede-sama," Miroku agreed, hoping that the rosary didn't carry any surprises with it that could be detrimental to his health.

The inutachi stood silently while the spell was cast; watching as the beads glowed with power and hummed with magic. One by one, those not already wearing a rosary accepted the gift, tucking it into their shirts so as not to be conspicuous when they reached the other side. Kirara's got wrapped around her twice, so that she wouldn't lose it while Kagome did the same for Shippou when it became apparent that his would fall off the minute he dived into the well.

"Are you prepared?" Kaede asked one final time, shutting the box up with the spell inside. She'd have to burn the paper after they were gone so that no one else could use it to change history or take over the future.

"Yeah, let's just get this over with," Inuyasha groused, not liking the whole idea.

"Very well. Good luck, and rest well," the old priestess said in farewell and watched as they took off for the well. When she turned back to do away with the spell, it was to discover it had disappeared. "This thing gets stranger by the minute."

* * *

><p>Kagome stood at the edge of the well, her friends peering down into its depths with curiosity. "I think I should go first, and Inuyasha should bring up the rear. That way we can make sure everyone gets through all right. And I can check to see how busy the shrine grounds are at this time of day."<p>

Sango adjusted Hiraikotsu on her back, the t-shirt riding up her back where it got caught on the straps. "What are we going to do with our weapons, Kagome?"

"Oh, well, I guess we'll have to leave them in the well house until evening when the visitors are all gone for the day. Miroku could probably carry his staff without looking too odd but Hiraikotsu is clearly a weapon. Then again, a monk wouldn't really be wandering around without his robes on so it's best just to keep things hidden. We don't allow anyone in the well house for obvious reasons so it'll have to look like I came to kick you out."

"We don't have all day, you know," Inuyasha said, giving the miko a little push. "Your mother probably has lunch ready. We wouldn't want to keep her waiting."

"Yeah, yeah. You just want to eat her cooking," Kagome teased before jumping over the edge. "See you on the other side!" she called as the blue light of the well swallowed her.

Shippou hopped up on the ledge, Kirara joining him. With a look of approval from Inuyasha, he went after Kagome, delighted when the light took him through the time slip. When he got to the other side, it was to find Kagome climbing a rope ladder much as she climbed the vines back home. The small youkai jumped to land on her shoulder, Kirara using them both to spring up and out onto solid land.

Kagome hugged both and turned back to the well to watch for her other friends. Hearing a thud and a curse, she thought for a moment that Inuyasha had decided to go next until she recognized the short ponytail of her other male friend. "Miroku, are you all right?" she asked when she noticed that he was rubbing the back of his head.

"Yes, Inuyasha just pushed me," he responded, beginning the climb up, his staff held close in one arm. Before he could get very far, the blue light filled the small space again and Sango appeared, Hiraikotsu dangerously leaning to one side. It tipped the final distance needed to knock Miroku in the back of the head, causing the poor abused man to fall backwards onto the slayer.

"Miroku!" Sango protested, pushing at the fallen man futilely.

"Only he would get hit when he'd done nothing wrong," Shippou snickered lightly before sealing his mouth with a glare from Kagome.

Inuyasha appeared then, calmly touching down in what little space wasn't taken up by a downed slayer and monk. "Keh," he uttered but didn't comment further, choosing instead to lift both up and jump to safety.

Sango brushed off her clothing, setting her boomerang against one wall and opening her arms for Kirara to jump into. The nekomata did so willingly, curling up to take a nap. Who knew that time travel was so tiring? "Now what?" the taijiya asked hesitantly. "It's not like we can hide Kirara's second tail or Shippou's fox feet."

"Uh… I forgot that," Kagome admitted. "Guess we'll just have to tuck them into our arms and deal with it later. If we hold them while going to the house, I doubt anyone will notice."

"Nice planning, wench," Inuyasha snorted and plopped Shippou into her arms. He opened the doors slowly, waiting until no one was looking before exiting. The others followed, making it part way to the house before they were spotted.

"Kagome-chan? Inuyasha-kun?" a trio of voices called and the half demon groaned in frustration.

Kagome visibly started but smiled wildly when she saw her friends from school. "Eri, Yuka, Ayumi," she greeted. Catching Miroku's attention out of the corner of her eye she hissed lowly, "Behave yourself." Sango pinched him discreetly just so that he got the message.

"You weren't at school today and your grandfather didn't know when you'd be back from the hospital." Eri looked over the group around her friend and frowned.

"I just returned, Eri. I'm feeling a bit tired but overall pretty good. The doctor said to rest for a few days before doing anything strenuous. If I feel up to it, I can even go to school tomorrow."

"That's a relief," Ayumi said.

"Yeah, we were really starting to worry," Yuka put in. She flashed Miroku a winsome smile which was frowned upon by Sango.

"Keh, she'll be fine." Inuyasha grabbed a hold of Miroku's sleeve and pulled him away from the three girls. "I think I hear Higurashi-san calling for us," he said and made his escape with the monk in tow.

Sango sent a glare their way but turned back with a smile. "Ah, Kagome-chan…?" she prodded, wanting to know who the girls were.

"Forgive me, Sango. Eri, Yuka, Ayumi, this is Sango Taijiya and her cat Kirara. Sango, these are my friends from school, Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi. I met Sango in the hospital a while ago and she's only now able to leave. I invited her to stay a while to finish recuperating."

The girls exchanged pleasantries and Kagome introduced them to Shippou who pretended to be shy and buried himself into the young priestess' embrace. The others would have laughed if it wouldn't have given their cover away.

Eri studied the little boy closely, wondering how such a young child had come to stay at the shrine. He looked no older than a toddler but Kagome insisted he was older. Shrugging, she went back to filling her friend in on the latest while escorting them to the house. Inuyasha and his friend were already inside, bags of groceries weighing both boys down.

"We'd better get going,"Ayumi said, watching as fatigue entered her friend's eyes. "We'll see you in the morning, Kagome," the kind hearted girl said before dragging the other two away before they could be introduced to Miroku.

"Bye!" Kagome called from the doorway. Closing the door and latching it, she released Shippou from her embrace and sighed.

"Hey, I didn't get introduced," Miroku protested, handing another bag to Kagome's mother.

"Let's keep it that way," Sango said and let Kirara go. "At least they didn't notice anything odd about Kirara and Shippou. It would have been really hard explaining away their demon features…" the demon slayer trailed off, her brown eyes falling on Inuyasha's ears in horror.

"What?" the hanyou demanded, his most notably demon features twitching in apprehension.

"Oh, dear," Kagome said, her eyes also alighting on them. "I wonder why they didn't say anything."

"About what?" Inuyasha asked.

"Your ears," the girls chorused, pointing to the furry white appendages.

"Keh, your friends aren't the brightest stars in the sky, Kagome."

"Speaking of your ears, dear, I meant to ask. How did you conceal them?" Mama asked, coming in from the kitchen. "I can't see them at all."

"Ah… I didn't do anything to them." Confused, the dog demon picked up Shippou from the floor. "Can you see his fox feet or his tail?"

"No, should I be able to?" The matriarch shook her head.

"Hmm, I think I begin to understand. The rosaries must conceal their features and by virtue of proximity Inuyasha's as well. Interesting," Miroku mused.

"Well, I suppose it would be rather pointless to get us here only for us to be discovered," Sango added softly. "I guess taking them off is definitely out of the question." Kirara mewed from her place at her companion's feet, earning a wondering look from Mama. Spotting a potential admirer, the fire cat went to the other woman and sniffed her out.

"She's absolutely adorable," Mama cooed, petting in between two tiny ears. "And your name's Kirara, isn't it? I can see you take great care of these children."

Kirara preened under the attention until she spotted Buyo in the doorway and jumped down to inspect the resident cat. Finding that he was not mating material, she wandered off to take in her new surroundings. The others could introduce themselves; she was more interested in finding a nice soft place to nap.

"Mama," Kagome began with slight amusement at the nekomata's actions. "Let me formally introduce my friends. This is Sango, the demon slayer. I've found a very good friend in her and am so glad we were able to meet. This is Shippou, the little fox demon child we're raising, and this is Miroku," she said, pointing to the taller of the two male teens. "He's a monk, even though he doesn't act like it sometimes."

"I see," Mama said, smiling. She knew who each were of course from descriptions and pictures of the group that her daughter had given her before but she bowed and accepted their profuse thanks for letting them stay. "It's my pleasure to have you here. Now, it will only take me a few minutes to finish lunch so why don't you make yourselves comfortable in the meantime. Inuyasha, dear, could you go get a few more chairs from the shed and Kagome, go get Father from wherever he is?"

"Sure," the half demon said, turning to leave before Miroku's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Higurashi-san, you have a lovely daughter and I can see where she gets her generous heart and caring nature."

Mama giggled behind one hand and watched as Kagome and Sango's eyes widened in horror. "Thank you," she said, wondering how far the young man would take his praise.

Kagome grabbed a hold of Sango's arm and prayed she wasn't hearing what she thought she was. "He's not really going to say what I think he is, is he?" her friend asked in abject humiliation.

"Probably," the miko sighed.

"Would you do me the honor of bearing my child?" Miroku picked up Mama's free hand and began to bring it to her lips while she laughed at him with her eyes.

"I might have been persuaded to if it weren't for a couple of things," Mama said, watching as the young man looked surprised at her words. It would do him some good to be taken aback. He was always embarrassing the girls.

"And those would be?" Miroku asked weakly. He had expected her to laugh it off or decline prettily.

"Well, for one, you're young enough to be my son, and two, you're already engaged to Sango-chan, am I not correct? It really is bad off you to keep on with that ridiculous request, Miroku-kun," she said.

"Yes, of course, you're right. I apologize."

"You're forgiven. You know, it was quite flattering, really, to have such a young man think me eligible enough to have another child. Of course, things are done differently in this era. Men help out with raising the children, even going as far as changing dirty diapers and feeding the babies in the middle of the night…"

Inuyasha, unable to hold back his laughter, grabbed hold of Miroku and pulled him out of the room towards the back of the house before the other man passed out. He'd had a culture shock on top of having to face Mama's version of a scold so it wasn't any surprise that the monk didn't know what to think. "Come on, lecher. Serves you right for asking Kagome's mother such a stupid question."

The girls for their part were chuckling right along with Mama, having enjoyed Miroku's reaction. Usually the monk got giggles and soft put downs, not agreement and a scold. "Mama, that was priceless. Did you see the look on his face?" By the time her mother had stopped her musings, the lecherous male had had a faint blush on his cheeks.

"I figured he might say something like that," Mama admitted, allowing the girls to help her out in the kitchen. "I apologize for embarrassing you, Sango-chan."

"It's not your fault, Higurashi-san. He hasn't done it as much as he has in the past now that we're promised to each other but it's going to take a while for him to be completely cured. I usually hit him on the head with Hiraikotsu or with my fist if he gets to be too much of a bother. Feel free to employ either method if he hits on you again. Or slap him if he goes for your backside."

"Oh, no dear, I couldn't. You're here to rest, not get injured. Besides, a lecture is all that's really needed. No one does it like a mother, you know and I imagine it's been a while since any of you have had that." Mama smiled, giving the slayer a one armed hug when she saw the girl nod. "Now then, go wash up and we'll be ready to eat. I bet you're hungry."

Shippou, who had climbed up onto a chair to watch the food being spread out nodded. "You bet, Higurashi-san! I could eat a whole deer!" His stomach growled just then, seemingly proving the cub's statement.

"Well, I don't have any deer but perhaps some chicken and fried rice will do," she answered, smiling at his enthusiastic nod.

"I love chicken!"

"I thought you might," Mama said and pulled a pitcher of green tea out of the refrigerator. Watching them troop out of the room to wash up, she smiled even as she sighed. She hoped they could really rest while they were here. They were all such _dear_ children.

Even if one of them was a pervert.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: A small group to thank for reviews: __**ShahzysAngelette**__, __**Rukia's Reflection**__, __**Anonymoose13**__, __**Taraah36**__, __**Nocturna Mae**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, and __**Esha Napoleon**__. And thank you to everyone who added this or its author to their lists._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_A Little Vacation_

_Ch. 5_

Mama had known that they were hungry but she hadn't thought that they were _this _hungry. She watched as four teens and a kitsune child scarfed chicken and rice, each snatching pickles whenever they paused for breath. The Higurashi matriarch stood to one side and watched the spectacle, briefly wondering if there would be anything left for her father-in-law when he finally came in. Maybe it was a good thing she had set aside a portion in advance.

The kitchen door opened and the gang turned as one as the old priest came in. They tensed, on guard, until they realized who it was before going back to their meal. "You didn't wait for me?" Kagome's grandfather asked, a slight pout on his face.

"Father, you told Kagome you'd be in right away. That was fifteen minutes ago. I wasn't going to let the kids starve while you talked. Sit, eat," she said. _Before it's all gone,_ the older woman added silently.

"All right," he sighed, washing his hands. "But first, I must excise this demon!" he shouted, pulling out a sutra and slapping it onto Shippou's head.

"Ah!" the cub cried, leaping over to Inuyasha for protection. "Kagome, it's a crazy old man with a sutra!" He hadn't been paying attention to the conversation, too intent on eating to pay attention to who the stranger was.

"Oi, old man, leave Shippou alone."

"Grandpa!"

Kagome and Inuyasha's protests were ignored as Sango and Miroku paused to study the newcomer. The young priestess had told them about her grandfather, laughing about the fact that he kept trying to purify Inuyasha. The monk pulled the paper off Shippou, frowning slightly when he sensed no spiritual power in the spell.

"Ah, Kagome," Miroku started. "There's no power in this."

"I know," the miko sighed. "He keeps trying anyway."

"Keh, and usually his favorite victim is me. Let me see that useless thing," the half demon snorted, taking it from his friend. They watched in awe as his _youki_ surged and turned the sutra to ash.

"Wow, Inu-no-niichan, I didn't know you could do that," a voice said from the hallway and Kagome turned to find her brother standing there, a grin on his face.

"Souta, why aren't you still in school?" his mother questioned, beginning to set another place at the crowded table.

"My science teacher made a smoke bomb and it got out of hand. They were still trying to air out the school when I left. I guess it was safer all around if the students went home." Souta continued to chatter happily, unaware of the meaning behind his hero's sudden ability to turn things to ash.

"Souta, if you'll be quiet for two seconds, I'll introduce you to everyone," his sister offered, amazed at how long he could talk without taking a breath.

"No need," he said, pointing his chopsticks at each of her friends. "That's Miroku, the perverted monk, that's Sango the demon slayer, and that's Shippou on Inu-no-niichan's shoulder. He's the baby fox demon you saved."

"I'm not a baby!" Shippou protested, coming to sit back in his seat. "I'm fifty years old."

"Sorry, Kagome talks about you like you are sometimes. You don't look fifty."

"Demons age differently," Sango said, her eyes dulling briefly. Souta reminded her of Kohaku. "Shippou won't be a full grown kitsune for many decades."

"Oh, I see. Anyway, I'm right, aren't I?" the youngest Higurashi asked, reaching for the last pickle only to be beat by his grandfather.

"Yes, but you forgot Kirara." A soft mew from under the table yielded the nekomata's whereabouts and Souta ducked his head down to get a look.

"She's pretty, but I thought you said she had two tails."

"She does, she has a concealment spell on to avoid attracting any unwanted attention."

"Oh, guess that's where Nii-chan's ears went. Say, if you could do that, why did he have to wear hats while he was here before?"

"The spell isn't your sister's, squirt. She can't do things like that yet." Inuyasha finished his tea, sitting back to watch the interaction between the boy and his friends. "You know, Kagome, your brother's taking this way better than you did when you first met us."

"My brother has a hero complex," Kagome retorted. "Besides, we both know he wouldn't last two seconds in the Feudal Era. Just look how he panicked during the Noh Mask incident."

Mama listened to the argument that began because of that statement and smiled softly when her father-in-law's eyes met hers. Most of the children in front of them might have been from a different time but they were still young and needed the love and care only a parent could give. It would do them a world of good to be able to sit back and relax for a time. She'd noticed how their guard had gone up at the approach of a stranger, their lives having taught them to be cautious. If for only a little while they could truly act their age, they just might be able to renew not only their physical strength but their mental strength as well. It would be good if they could see the goodness in humanity again.

"Mama?" Kagome questioned, catching the affectionate look in her mother's eye. "Aren't you going to eat?"

"Yes, dear, I just wanted to make sure that you had your fill before I did." Relieved that the onslaught seemed to be over, Mama filled her plate with the portion that she'd set aside and went to squeeze into the table in between her two children. Jumping into the conversation without thought, she was slightly surprised that the teens from the Feudal Era were not as hesitant to talk in her presence as she thought that they would be. Then again, with Kagome as a bridge between the past and the present, maybe there was no need to hold back.

Her daughter was a truly remarkable young woman.

* * *

><p>An hour after lunch was over and the girls had retired to Kagome's room, Mama sat at the table with Miroku and Inuyasha to talk quietly about their health. Shippou had been dragged off by Souta to play video games, the former delighting in the fact that the cub knew how to play thanks to the hand held toy Kagome had given him.<p>

"The letter Lady Kaede sent me was quite troubling, dears. I hope you take this opportunity to simply rest. Do not worry about helping out around the shrine."

"We must repay you in some way, Higurashi-san," Miroku said."

Smiling at the young man who was far more than the lecher Kagome proclaimed him to be, Mama picked up her cup of tea and drank. "You can repay me by getting better. You have a hard task ahead of you once you return to the past, Miroku-kun. If you do not take the time to recover here, you may never succeed. This I am very well aware of. My daughter believes me to be very unconcerned with your travels but I am not as oblivious as I pretend to be for her sake. Inuyasha protects her as best he can, as I'm sure you all do, but all it takes is once and the future could change irrevocably. Letting that mad man survive is not an option. Even if Kagome could purify all of the demons from him, I'm not sure that would stop his greed and pursuit of power."

"I won't let her die, Higurashi-okaasan. I promise," Inuyasha swore.

"I know that, dear, but I don't want you to die either. I don't want any of you to die. You're all very special children." Slightly amused at the hint of red dusting their cheeks, Mama chuckled and went back to her drink.

"Still… There must be _something_ we can do."

"After a few days, perhaps I will let you help Father around the grounds. I'm sure that you are not unfamiliar with the way a shrine or temple is run."

"I was raised in one," the dark haired monk admitted.

"By a drunk," Inuyasha added.

"True, but I know the daily necessities."

"Good, then you can help Father when you've had some more rest. Now then, there is one other thing that I wanted to speak to you about," Mama said, rising from her chair and going to a nearby cupboard. Opening the door, she pulled a bag from the back. The cloth was worn with age, as if it had been stored for many years, the string tie faded thanks to time. "A man delivered this earlier this morning and I didn't get a chance to tell Kagome about it. It's addressed to Inuyasha and since not many people know that he stays here occasionally, I'm a bit worried. There was a note inside as well."

Gently she sat the bag down, allowing Inuyasha to pick it up after sniffing at the strange object. Claws picked at the tight knot, almost afraid of shredding the material. Inuyasha opened the bag, pulling out the note and reading it while the others looked on. "Keh," he commented, unsure of what to say.

"Do you recognize the handwriting?" Miroku asked.

"No, but I recognize the scent. Damn bastard's still alive after all these years—figures."

"Who…?" Mama started but was interrupted by Miroku.

"Ah, your brother. It seems he knows more about Kagome than he's let on."

"Yeah, get this: 'Here's your allowance. Use it well for it is the only one I'll ever give you.'"

"I see. Perhaps your brother has watched over you this entire time." Hope tinged Mama's voice.

"I rather doubt that, Higurashi-san," Miroku argued. "It is more like he knew what Kagome's last name was and waited until your family took over the shrine before keeping a watch on it until Inuyasha appeared. He knows that we've left the village and has probably concluded that we've gone to Kagome's home. The only thing he would have to do would be to ask Kaede-sama where that is."

"Assuming that she gave him the truth, that still doesn't explain why he'd actually care after all this time," Inuyasha said, upending the bag. Its contents spilled onto the table, making all of the room's occupants gasp in surprise.

"Inuyasha, are those…?" Miroku breathed, picking up a small green stone.

"Gemstones?" the half demon finished. "Yeah, you're not seeing things, monk." The shining objects blinked up at them in the light from the windows.

"Your brother never ceases to confuse me," Miroku said. Why would a man who claimed to all who would listen that he hated his half-brother and intended to kill him, give him gemstones as an "allowance?"

"Keh, a bastard he may be, but no one ever said he was simple."


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N: Just a small group to thank for reviews: I__**LoveInuyasha4Eva**__, __**DemigodWitch96**__, __**Rukia's Reflection**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**ShahzysAngelette**__, __**Taraah36**__, __**Esha Napoleon**__, and __**AuthoressAurora17**__. And thank you to anyone who put this or its author on their lists. I promise I didn't forget this one. I just didn't realize how much time had passed since I updated._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_A Little Vacation_

_Ch. 6_

Alone in Kagome's room, the miko had introduced Sango to the wonders of multiple outfits. Although some she found indecent (Kagome's school skirt one), the slayer didn't really mind the jeans she was presently wearing. Sango had even managed to find a few skirts and dresses that covered her sufficiently. It was a pleasant surprise to find that once the tough material of the jeans softened with age, it was quite pliable and would do in a pinch if she had to fight.

Presently, they were sitting quietly, each studying a textbook. While the taijiya had never tried to read one of her friend's books before, the older girl had decided to try to look at it from the beginning. Some of the kanji and hiragana were different but once she had grasped the meanings of all the symbols, she found doing the math problems relatively simple.

Unfortunately, Kagome wasn't having as easy a time as her friend. Her other subjects had piled on the homework, her English the most frustrating. While in the Sengoku Jidai she didn't have a chance to use the language so her comprehension of it was quite rusty. After a bit of struggling, the young priestess managed to get caught up and had even read a chapter ahead.

With math her only subject left, Kagome turned to her friend. "Say, Sango, are you done…?" Kagome gaped. "I didn't know you were so good at math! You could have helped me ages ago."

"I didn't either, but I found the meaning to all those funny symbols, and after that, it was easy. Did you need your book?"

"Yeah."

Sango handed the text over, smiling at her friend. "I think I did your back assignments too. You can look at them if you wish before trying them yourself."

"Thanks, Sango, I'll do that." A pensive look crossed the miko's face. "Hey, Sango, have you heard the guys since we came up here?"

"Now that you mention it, no, I haven't. Your brother and Shippou are still playing video games too."

"Hmm, that reminds me. Has Shippou practiced his characters and numbers lately?"

"Not in the last week; there hasn't been an opportunity."

"Shippou! Come here, please. I know you can hear me."

The sounds of electronic battling stopped in her brother's room and Souta's door opened. A knock on Kagome's door signaled the cub's arrival. Sango let him in and he scampered up onto Kagome's desk. "What d'ya need, Kagome? Souta and I were having fun."

"Your numbers and characters have been neglected. I want you to go through them with Sango while I finish here."

"Do I have to?" Even as Shippou asked the question, he knew the answer. The teens had known that he knew how to read, write, and do basic math but they had continued his studies so that he was far more knowledgeable than others his age. Using his fox magic hadn't been enough in Kagome's mind so they'd each done their best to give him some sort of lesson. Inuyasha had taken him fishing once; something his father had been trying to teach him at the time of his death. Hunting was next, although he still hadn't mastered the art of masking his _youki_ from potential prey.

"Yes, then tomorrow we can go get drawing supplies and you can make Mama a story."

"Okay!"

The sun was setting by the time Kagome was finished with her math. A little tummy grumbled, making both girls laugh. The younger female looked over Shippou's progress, and satisfied, hugged him. "Let's see what's for dinner."

They found Miroku and Inuyasha slumped on the sofa, napping. By their disheveled appearance, it was clear that the old priest had gotten them to move things despite Mama's edict that they simply rest. Inuyasha sensed their presence and opened his eyes. "Your gramps is crazier than I thought. Do you know what he had us do while you were upstairs?"

"I can guess. I'm sorry, Inuyasha, I'll have Mama talk to him."

"She already did." After the matriarch had gotten through with the old man, she had lit into them as well. The half demon could still feel his ears ringing. "Well, smells like dinner's ready." He hoisted himself up, his muscles still aching. Miroku stirred and eventually woke. As a group they entered the kitchen. Mama smiled at them as if nothing had happened and began putting food on the table.

Once everyone was accounted for, they ate. Afterwards, Kagome introduced the others to what a movie was. None of them saw the ending. Souta and Shippou were ushered into bed by Mama and tucked in. One by one she woke the others, letting each bathe and dress for sleep before disturbing another. Inuyasha was the last, even going so far as to allow Mama to dry and brush his hair. She led the sleepy eyed half demon into Kagome's room and onto a futon. A couple of ear rubs later and the teen was asleep.

* * *

><p>Hours later Sango was woken by a large head. Kirara nudged her until she acknowledged the nekomata. "What is it, Kirara?" The demon cat bumped her stomach just as a cramp gripped the slayer. "Oh, thank you, Kirara." She quickly gathered her supplies and made her way to the bathroom. Sango had to admit that some things were much cleaner in Kagome's era. On her way out, she was met with a sympathetic looking Mama Higurashi.<p>

"A cup of tea, dear?"

"Uh, sure, that sounds nice. Thank you." Kirara waited for them at the door, wanting to be let out. Sango bent down to remove the beads from her companion's neck. The nekomata transformed, still waiting.

"Oh, my. Kagome told me how big she could get but I hadn't realized she was a saber tooth."

"Don't worry, Higurashi-san, she won't hurt anything or anyone. Kirara's normally very gentle. It's just in battle that she's fierce." Turning to her friend, Sango opened the door to let her out. "Don't go far, okay, Kirara? And don't let anyone see you."

"There's a bit of forest still left behind the shrine grounds. It's not much but it should be enough for her." Mama gave Kirara a pat on the head before the large cat left. A rumbling purr drifted in her wake, signaling that she understood.

"She won't be gone long. Every now and then she'll hunt for fresh meat."

"I'm afraid she won't find much here in the city. And except for the two incidences with the Soul Piper and the Noh Mask, I'm afraid there haven't been any indications of any other demons in this time either."

"Kagome and Inuyasha told us about those. She was quite lucky in both cases, but especially with the Soul Piper."  
>"Lucky?" Mama questioned, confused. The look on the elder woman's face gave Sango pause. Obviously they hadn't told her the true danger.<p>

"Yes. They're harmless as long as their eyes are closed. It's only when they open all the way that the true danger appears. If that happens, then they're going to drag a soul to Hell."

"My, I guess so. My daughter would never want to leave a soul to suffer if there was anything she could do about it. Anyway, I hope small animals will suffice," she continued, going back to their original topic.

Sango smiled, nodding. "Yes, they'll do fine." Within moments, Kirara was back, pawing at the door. As they let her in, Sango noticed the small creature in her powerful jaws. "A demon?" she asked her feline friend. The nekomata nodded in reply.

"Ahh! Lady Sango, I beg you! Don't exterminate me!" Before she could answer, another voice cut in.

"I smell a rat." Everyone looked up to see Inuyasha in the doorway. The top half of his pajamas had been discarded, his hair was a mass of tangles and his normally gold eyes were tinted red.

"My lord! We did not know you were visiting the shrine."

"Cut the 'lord' crap. What are you doing here?" he demanded, tempted to use his claws to get answers quickly.

"My lord, you ordered us to watch the shrine. To guard the Higurashi family and protect them from other demons who would wish to steal the shards of the Sacred Jewel that young Lady Kagome has. I told the same to Lady Kirara but she did not believe me nor does she seem to recognize me." The creature whimpered, obviously disheartened.

"None of us recognize you," Sango said.

Throughout the exchange, Mama had been pondering the demon's words. The poor creature, whose appearance clearly made him a rodent of some kind, thought that Inuyasha had ordered him to protect Kagome. They were obviously missing something.

"Explain yourself," Inuyasha ordered coldly, sounding a little too like his brother for the slayer's comfort. And for the demon's if his squeak of fear was anything to go by.

"Yes, my lord! My clan has been in service to the Lords of the Western Lands for centuries. The Fire Rats have laid down their lives for the Inutaichos of the past. Your father had even demanded our fur be made into a haori to protect you and your mother. Surely you remember, my lord. You wore it and nothing more for ages. My family and I are a small bunch who took refuge in my lord's forest during your battle with the evil hanyou, Naraku."

"I don't have any rat demons in my forest," Inuyasha growled, eyes bleeding red even further.

"Dears, I believe I know what is going on. This Fire Rat seems to think that you are someone that you are not. Or at least, someone you are not yet." Sango's eyes widened at Mama's words as realization hit.

"Higurashi-san is correct, Inuyasha. I think your future self ordered them to watch over the shrine once Kagome started to travel through time. You are from a strong blood line, Inuyasha. It's quite possible that you are still alive in this era. This demon doesn't appear to know that we are not from this time."

The rat demon gulped, wringing his hands together from his suspended position in Kirara's mouth. "Oh, my lord is going to be so angry. Please forgive me." They'd been told not to reveal themselves to anyone.

"I might; in five hundred years." The disgusted tone of the dog demon made that outcome unlikely.

"Thank you, my lord."

"Sir," Mama said, addressing the youkai directly. "Could you tell me if there are any doctors in Tokyo that treat both humans and demons?" she asked.

"Higurashi-sama, I am most humbled and honored that you asked. Dr. Yomoto is the only one in the whole city who does."

That would make things simple. Yomoto had been Kagome's doctor since birth. "Thank you."

Inuyasha snorted in disgust before glaring at the rat. "Go and tell the others that our Feudal Era selves will be here for two weeks or so. I don't want you attracting attention or Kirara bringing you back here. Go it?"

"Yes, my lord," the rat demon said and scurried away as soon as Kirara let him go.

"Dears, I think you should try to forget this incident. It's best not to tamper with history any more than we have."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Yeah, you're right, Higurashi-okaasan."

"Mothers usually are, dear." The two women watched as he went back to bed. Mama had a feeling he was using scent more than sight to find his way.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to hearing him call someone 'Mother,"" Sango said.

"He's such a sweet boy," the matriarch said softly with a smile. "Tired though; did you see how blood shot his eyes were?" Sango decided not to disillusion Kagome's mother. There was no need to tell her that his youkai half was very close to the surface.

The ice cold tone mirroring his brother had been proof enough of that.


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N: Just a small group to thank: __**Rukia's Reflection**__, __**ILoveInuyasha4Eva**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**Tarrah36**__, __**ShazysAngellete**__, and __**Esha Napoleon**__. And thank you to everyone who put this or its author on their lists. Typing this up, I realized how long this may come out to be. I've also been considering asking to join __**IYFanguild**__. What do you guys think?_

Disclaimer: I do not own the Bleach characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_A Little Vacation_

_Ch. 7_

Inuyasha returned to Kagome's room and crawled onto the bed behind the sleeping school girl. His youkai half wanted his prospective mate close and he buried his nose in the crook of her neck. Starting to doze off, he sensed the end of her fertile time and it drew an unconscious whine from the exhausted hanyou.

Had he been his more rational self, the thoughts the revelation brought would have embarrassed him, making him stutter denials and blush scarlet. As it was, his feral side was too dominant to care at the moment. "Mate," the more gravelly tone of his demon side uttered. He nudged her with his head until she woke.

"Inuyasha?"

"Bleed soon."

"Bleed? I'm not…" It took a moment for the meaning of the words to sink passed sleep induced confusion. Kagome knew she was redder than a tomato when his meaning struck home. "Oh! Thank you, Inuyasha." She left, returning to find him still in her bed. His nose was buried in her pillow, an obvious substitute for the half demon so that he could inhale her scent. He appeared to be asleep but his _youki_ was fluctuating. Normally a light red color, his aura had scarlet tones to it. His youkai half was definitely close to the surface.

"Mate return." Surprised, Kagome came closer. She had never heard him say anything while transformed so perhaps he wasn't as lost to his blood beast as he appeared.

"Inuyasha, Mama will be mad if she finds us in the same bed." The young miko didn't mention how uncomfortable it made her feel in her present condition. She got a growl in response.

"Come," he ordered, his tone brooking no argument.

Giving an almost inaudible sigh, Kagome came forward. "I'm coming, Inuyasha." Climbing in next to him, she tried to get comfortable. She and the half demon were only ever this close if he was pulling her out of danger or she was riding on his back. "Good night, Inuyasha." Arms like banded steel wrapped around her in answer. A nose buried itself in the crook of her neck and the young miko drifted off to sleep in the secure embrace of her protector.

* * *

><p>Birds woke Inuyasha early the next morning. It was just before dawn and faint light barely crept past the curtains of Kagome's bedroom window. He didn't need the illumination to see the young woman snuggled in his arms, still fast asleep. Leaving her to her slumber, Inuyasha opened the window and jumped out to go sit in the Goshinboku. Sitting there, he had a good view of the grounds and he stared towards the priestess' room. Lost in thought, he went through the memories of the night before, shocked at how close he had been to losing control. Coming to this time had been so that he <em>wouldn't<em> lose out to his youkai half. Maybe the doctor the Fire Rat had mentioned the night before could be of some use to him after all.

Deciding that the early morning hours was a good time to go for a run around the city, Inuyasha took off, going through what was left of his forest first. There weren't many people around to comment on his appearance so he had no reason to think he'd appear on the picture box again. It wouldn't do for people to find out that youkai still existed in this era.

When he returned, Mama was at the kitchen table, a cup of tea in one hand, a writing tool in another. Didn't the woman ever sleep? At her elbow sat an envelope; and she kept giving it puzzled looks. Going back in through Kagome's window, Inuyasha made his way down to the kitchen, making sure that his footsteps would be heard so that he wouldn't startle her.

"Morning, Higurashi-okaasan."

Mama looked up from her task, smiling softly. "Good morning, dear. You're up awful early." Glancing at the clock she noticed that it was just passed six.

"Keh, I'm always up at dawn."

"That, my dear, may be part of your problem."

"Demons and half demons don't need as much sleep as humans. Taiyoukai like my brother can go up to two weeks on less than a night's sleep."

"That's quite impressive, but it's not good to test your limits so often."

"We have to get Naraku," he said as if that excused everything.

"I understand, dear, but chasing him down until you're all exhausted isn't the way. If you keep on like that, you won't have any energy left to fight."

"Yes, ma'am," he sighed, ears laid back at the maternal lecture. How many years had passed since he'd heard his own mother scold him? "Speaking of sleep, you haven't gotten very much lately, either. You were up late last night, and now you're up just passed dawn."

"Ah, but I'm a mother. A mother often gets little sleep while their children are in school. How else are we to make sure they make it on time?"

"Keh, Kagome's always late coming back if I don't come get her," the half demon scoffed.

"Exactly why she needs me to make sure she doesn't do something like throw her alarm clock out the window." Amused at Inuyasha's attempt to hide the real reason he came to get her daughter, Mama rose to get another cup of tea. Privately she thought that the young man just missed Kagome when they weren't together. She paused when she heard a creaking floor board outside of her son's room.

"The runt's awake. I meant to warn you about him. Kagome and Sango think he's cute and he uses that to get away with a lot of things he shouldn't. If he does something wrong, don't let his innocent act fool you."

"Such is the nature of little boys, dear. And foxes, I imagine."

"Inuyasha, where can I go?" Still half asleep, Shippou stood in the kitchen doorway.

"I'll show you." He took the smaller demon to the bathroom, once again teaching him how to use the facilities. Sango and Kagome were waiting when they came out, both blurry eyed from sleep.

"Bout time," Kagome groused.

"Blame the runt," he shot back. "You girls okay?"

"We're just fine," Sango answered, yawning. "I'll have you know that I'm staying with Kagome from now on."

"I figured as much. We'll be down in the kitchen with Higurashi-okaasan. Kagome, you're going to school today, remember, so don't go back to sleep." Inuyasha got twin scowls in response so he took the cub and made a hasty retreat.

He hated the fact that they cycled together now. When Sango had first joined them, one had been rational while the other suffered the temporary insanity that came over them each lunar cycle. Now, they were both powder kegs waiting to go off if either he or Miroku said or did the slightest thing that they thought was wrong.

Speaking of the pervert, Miroku sat dazed at the table, a bump already on his head. The matriarch was putting an ice pack on his head. "I didn't do anything! I said 'Good morning, Sango,' and she hit me! I didn't grope her or in any way touch her, I swear!"

"They're temporarily insane, that's the only explanation. By the way, I'm bunking with you now."

Mama didn't bother to hold her laughter in any longer. She began to fix breakfast, listening to the two teens talk about the girls they adored. Never mind that at the moment they'd rather be on the other side of the world from them.

"What's that smell, Higurashi-obaachan?" Shippou asked as he hopped up on her shoulder.

"Bacon and eggs. It's a Western breakfast but it has a lot of nutrients your body needs."

"Western? Like from Sesshoumaru's lands?"

"She means from the other side of the world, runt."

"Oh."

"That's okay, dear, you didn't know."

"Hey, Obaa-chan, I bet you know."

"Know what, dear?"

"I bet you know why Sango and Kagome smell like old blood. Before they smelled funny too but not like this. Kaede-obaachan said she'd tell me when I was older and Sango did too but maybe they don't know." Choking behind her caused her to grin a bit mischievously. How could she have a bit of fun without giving too much away? He really was too young to know the whole truth.

"I do know, and I'm sure Lady Kaede and Sango do as well."

"So?"

"So, dear, a woman's body makes a sort of cushion inside her womb so that if she becomes with child, the baby has a place to rest that is safe and warm while it grows. If the cushion isn't needed, it slowly leaves the body over the course of several days."

"That's why they smell funny?"

"Yes, dear," she answered, wondering just how much a demon's nose could pick up about what was happening with a woman's body. "For further details, you really should wait until you're older."

"Okay," he said and got down. Going to the table, he looked at the older boys. "What's wrong with you two?" he asked. Inuyasha was mumbling incoherently and blushing while Miroku hid most of his face.

"I'm going to check on Kagome," Inuyasha said before fleeing, Shippou following in his wake.

"A cushion?" Miroku asked weakly?

"It's true."

"An ingenious answer, Higurashi-san."

"Thank you," she said, chuckling. "A mother knows when to answer, when not to answer, and how much of answer to give if she does. When it comes to little boys, I suppose that it helps to have one of your own. Little boys curious as a fox are especially tough."

"That's Shippou." Miroku accepted the cup of tea she put in front of him gratefully. Scuffling from upstairs drew their attention to the hall.

"_You little twerp!_" Kagome's angry voice was followed by a yelp and a plea for aid.

"Not this time," came Inuyasha's voice. "I'm not getting into the middle of this fight."

"I thought you were brave," Souta charged, his voice slightly muffled. Kagome probably had him in a headlock.

"Brave, not stupid," Inuyasha retorted. Sango's laughter could be heard, followed by a comment by Shippou. The slayer's amusement sounded a bit watery, worrying the elder Higurashi female.

"What troubles Sango-chan?" she asked, figuring the monk would know.

"I think being around Souta reminds her of her brother. Kagome has told you of Kohaku, hasn't she?"

"Yes, such a horrid thing. Naraku is truly a monster."

"I agree." Miroku paused when they heard several feet pounding down the stairs. "I'm hoping being around Kagome's little brother will remind Sango of the good times with her own and that it will give her hope."

Mama nodded as the table became crowded with four teenagers, two young boys, and one old priest. Kirara and Buyo were eating, the latter being disgruntled by the first class meal of the former. Two cartons of eggs, four pounds of bacon, and kami knows how much juice later, Mama was waving her children goodbye as they were escorted by Inuyasha.

Sango had begun washing the dishes without being asked; naturally wanting to be of help and feeling that she would go stir crazy if she didn't do _something_. The priest had dragged Miroku off to tell stories to, or get told secrets, neither woman was sure which it was; and Shippou had gone into the living room to play with the cats. Looking out the window, she noticed Kagome's grandfather headed towards the well house.

"Hiraikotsu!"

"What was that, dear?"

"My weapon. Houshi-sama and I left our weapons out there yesterday to avoid attracting unwanted attention and we forgot to bring them in. Higurashi-sama will never be able to lift it; he may even hurt himself greatly if he tries."

"I believe that's the true reason he dragged your fiancé outside."

"But Houshi-sama can barely lift it," Sango protested.

"He seems to be doing fine to me," Mama said.

The taijiya turned back to the window, her eyes narrowing in anger. "Why that rat," she gritted out. Miroku was carrying not only Hiraikotsu but his staff as well.

Seeing the girl's consternation, she laughed softly. "Must be all that lifting he did yesterday." The monk must have sensed them watching because he smiled sheepishly at his beloved when she met him at the door.

"Sango, my dear, I've returned your Hiraikotsu. It feels particularly light today." It had been a while since he'd hefted the bone boomerang but it did seem a little easier to carry.

"So I see."

"Eh-heh. I can explain."

* * *

><p>At the same time Miroku was trying to "explain," Inuyasha was walking Kagome to school. They had broken off from Souta a while back, the younger sibling having caught sight of some friends and wanting to go with them. Getting caught walking with his big sister and her "boyfriend" would not have looked cool.<p>

Kagome's steps were light. For once she was not only going to school on time, but would actually be a little early. She might even have enough time to ask her teachers questions about things she didn't understand. They would appreciate the opportunity she had to hand in all the back homework. Inuyasha, slightly more inconspicuous than usual dressed in modern clothes, seemed content to stroll by her side; her backpack slung over one shoulder.

"Hey, Kagome!"

"Kagome, wait up!"

"Is that Inuyasha with you?" The aforementioned dog demon groaned as Kagome's three friends from this era ran to catch up to them. It had been just their "luck" that Yuka, Eri, and Ayumi had had the same idea as the young priestess.

"Uh, hey, guys. Yeah, Inuyasha wanted to walk me to school today."

"That's so sweet. Are you really feeling up to coming?" Ayumi glanced back and forth between the two shard hunters.

"I feel a lot better. I've caught up on most of my back work, too. Except for that doctor's appointment I mentioned yesterday, I really think I'll be able come to school without missing any for a while."

"We're so glad you're feeling better," Yuka put in, starting to walk on the other side of Kagome while Eri came even with Inuyasha.

Inuyasha silently scoffed, wondering how dense the three girls were. Couldn't they tell when she was sick and when she wasn't? When she was healthy, they thought she was sick, and when she was run down, they thought she was "feeling better." Couldn't they see how tired she was? Belatedly realizing that their chatter had stopped, he turned golden eyes towards the trio. "What?"

"You never told us what it is that you do. You don't seem to go to school but you can't be that much older than Kagome, can you?" Eri peered closely at him, trying to find some sign as to how old he was.

"His mother home schooled him. Right now he's sort of working with his brother." Kagome inwardly cringed, hoping they wouldn't probe further. She knew that his mother had taught him but exactly what and how much, she wasn't sure. While Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha had the same basic goal at the moment, actually working together was a stretch. They'd only ever done that against the Panther Demon Tribe and Sou'unga. And that had been grudgingly at best.

"Is that what you call it?" Inuyasha groused. "Sure we are. That's why he ordered me away on this 'vacation.' The bastard thinks he knows everything."

"Sesshoumaru may not know _everything_, but he was right about your health, Inuyasha."

"Sesshoumaru?" Ayumi questioned.

"Who names their son 'Sesshoumaru?'?" Eri echoed.

"The same person who named me 'Inuyasha,' I suppose. I guess it could have been his mother, but I'm pretty sure our old man did."

"Oh, so you're half -brothers." Yuka clasped her hands in excitement. "Is he a lot older than you?"

"Yeah, we're half," Inuyasha answered, becoming quiet as they reached the school.

"Sesshoumaru was a teenager when Inuyasha was born so they really don't get along," Kagome put in, hoping her friends would get the clue not to continue that line of discussion. They nodded and went ahead while the miko faced her friend.

"I'll pick up the squirt before meeting you here. Your mom's going to try to get that doctor's appointment thing for you today so don't forget."

"I won't. Thank you for walking with me and for being so patient with them. They didn't mean to upset you, Inuyasha."

"I know. It's not normal in this era for an elder sibling to want to constantly kill his younger brother, is it?"

"Well, it's not common here, certainly, but I doubt Sesshoumaru's the first person to feel that way. Anyway, you'd best get back to the shrine and rescue Miroku from Gramps." Kagome took her bag, and after giving him a quick hug, went to join her friends.

They had waited at the shoe lockers, whispering among themselves. "You're really lucky, Kagome. Most boyfriends wouldn't think to walk their girlfriends to school when they had to be someplace else."

"Inuyasha worries about me," she said, glancing out the window in time to see him leap onto a nearby building. Hurriedly directing her friends' attention elsewhere, she demanded for them to tell her the latest gossip while putting on her shoes. She didn't need them to see Inuyasha jumping onto roofs.

They definitely wouldn't leave things alone if they saw him leap three or four stories at a time.

* * *

><p>Inuyasha found Miroku slumped against the Sacred Tree when he returned to the shrine. His staff was clutched in one hand but there was no sign of how he came to be in that condition. The half demon couldn't detect any fresh scents that belonged to Sango or Mama so he dragged the unconscious houshi inside hoping for answers once the man woke up.<p>

In the corner of the guest room the boys would be sleeping in rested Hiraikotsu, the bone boomerang the only indication that trouble hadn't happened while he was away. Kirara was lying on one bed, opening a ruby eye to gaze at him when he came in. "Mew."

"Where's Sango?" Again she mewed and he took it to mean that she didn't really know. However, she wasn't agitated so all was apparently well. "Know why the monk's unconscious this time?" This time her eyes simply rested on the large weapon, amusement in their jeweled depths. "Figures." Snickering, he dropped the other young man unceremoniously onto one of the beds.

Kirara jumped onto the monk, curling up with a purr to take a nap. "Mew."

"Where's the runt?" he questioned although he had a pretty good idea. Again ruby eyes strayed to the weapon. Good, he'd been right. This was the perfect opportunity to catch up on more sleep.

"Inuyasha, are you back, boy?" _Then again…_, Inuyasha lamented.

Maybe if he stayed silent the old man would think he was hearing things.

"Huh, must be hearing things." The elderly man left the house muttering to himself.

_Success!_ Inuyasha silently cheered and settled down to rest.

Sometimes demon stealth really did come in handy.


	8. Chapter 8

_A/N: A group to thank for reviews: __**Dragon and Sword Master**__, __**Dashita Tichou**__, __**AuthoressAuroroa17**__, __**DemigodWitch96**__, __**SilverStella**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**Taraah36**__, __**Esha Napoleon**__, and __**Rukia's Reflection**__. And thank you to everyone who put this or its author on their lists. I know it's been a long time since I updated and I have no excuse. My sincerest apologies._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_A Little Vacation_

_Ch. 8_

Sango had taken several of the gemstones that Miroku had chosen to turn into cash and with the help of a friend of Mama's that they'd seen right after leaving the shrine, now had a substantial amount to work with. The slayer had no intention of giving any of it back to the boys, figuring that if they wanted to buy something, they could just turn to Kagome's mother for help in exchanging more jewels. Her intent was not solely for revenge. The weather in the Feudal Era was starting to turn and because of the destruction of her village, had to procure a heavier kimono elsewhere. Since prefabricated kimonos were expensive, it made sense to buy the fabric here and make one with the help of an experienced seamstress such as Mrs. Higurashi. At least the matriarch wouldn't charge her. What she did with the rest of the money, well, that would be completely to get back at Miroku.

Walking sedately next to the taijiya, Mama was learning the difference between a curious young boy, and a curious young fox cub. Shippou was dancing from one brightly lit store window to another, excitement shining in emerald eyes. If she hadn't known better, she would have said he'd had candy before leaving the shrine grounds.

"Sango, can I have some candy?" he asked after they hurried by a confectioner's shop. No sense tempting fate.

"Not now, Shippou. You know Kagome doesn't want you to have a lot of sugar."

"Oh, but Sango…"

"She's right, Shippou. Don't you want to be as tall as Inuyasha and Miroku?"

"Taller!" the young boy laughed. "Then I can hit Inuyasha on the head when he does something I don't like."

"Mm." Mama decided that it was best not to encourage that sort of behavior. There must be better ways to discipline the child when he did something wrong. Although, what she viewed as bad behavior and what Inuyasha did were probably two different things. "What does he hit you for?"

"I tease him, call him names, and gnaw on his ears, that sort of thing."

"I see; well, you know, picking on people is not nice, dear. I'm sure his ears are very sensitive." Mama knew they were and had to wonder whether the cub hadn't figured that out yet or if he was pretending ignorance. Surely he was passed the age where he teethed.

"You're right, Obaa-chan." The picture of innocence, Shippou came back to her side to hold her hand but had to settle for her skirt because he was too short.

Mama chuckled, picking him up. She saw what Inuyasha had meant by his "cuteness." "You're forgiven, but I don't want you doing that anymore."

"Yes, ma'am." His answer earned him a smile and a kiss on the top of the head.

"I'm glad you understand. Now, let's get some fabric and I'll make you some clothes that are tailored especially for you. That shirt seems a little big."

"The shirt might be big, but the pants' waist is too tight, isn't it, Shippou?" Sango asked, having watched the entire exchange in silence. She'd been impressed with how the older woman had handled Shippou and made a mental note to tell the others later. Kagome and she had not been able to get him to stopping gnawing on the half demon's ears and had at one point asked him whether or not he had all his baby teeth in. When he'd said yes, they'd known he did it on purpose.

"So I saw this morning."

"Can I choose the fabric?" the cub asked anxiously.

"Certainly."

Sango smiled, lightly swinging the arm that held a couple of bags. "This shopping is a lot more fun than I'd first thought."

"I rather thought you would, dear. I'm surprised though; you haven't bought much."

"We travel a lot and I don't want to slow everyone down with a lot of baggage."

"Dear, you're to be married soon. Don't you want to find a place to settle?"

"I don't know where Houshi-sama and I will live once this is all over. He's the only heir to his mentor's temple, I would really like to rebuild the slayers' village, but I like Kaede-sama's village too. I'd want to live close to Kagome or at least close enough so that she could visit when not in school." Mama nodded in sympathy. The young people currently under her care had much to worry about. Taking it one day at a time seemed best.

"You can always keep things at the shrine, dear," she offered. "That new kimono though is a must. We can't have you falling ill."

"Yes. I had thought that buying one already made would be faster but making one really isn't that hard. With your assistance, it shouldn't take that long either. It's been a long time since I sewed anything but a wound."

"I don't mind," Mama said. "Besides, sewing new clothes will give you an excuse to avoid Father. I heard him mutter something about how even though you're strong; you're bound to have a gentler touch than the boys."

"I would be happy to help, Higurashi-san."

"Nonsense, dear. I'm not going to let you get exhausted like the boys. Despite my edicts, Father seems to drag them into working anyway. If they weren't teenagers, I'd think they'd skip dinner."

"Not likely," Shippou put in as they entered the fabric store. Bolts of cloth in every color of the rainbow and type were lined up wall to wall.

"In you get, little one," Mama said, setting the child into the cart's basket. "We can't have you getting lost." She envisioned him scampering and playing hide and seek among the fabrics, popping out at unsuspecting shoppers.

"Cool, this is like the one on Kagome's bike. I always rode in the basket." "Cool" was a word he had learned from Souta the night before. It hadn't taken any time at all for the kitsune child to learn modern slang.

"You're lucky you're so small. Soon you won't fit."

"Oh, I won't grow anymore for another few years at least." Mama took that to mean he was younger than he wanted to let on. It also meant that he had plenty of time to use his "cuteness" to his advantage.

The conversation drifted to fabrics and what kind and what pattern best suited their purpose and desire. She left Sango to her own devices, preferring to supervise Shippou. While she kept a close eye on a fascinated cub, she ran through the colors of thread she'd need and if she had to purchase any others. A sudden thought occurred to her and she turned to the young woman who was putting a flower patterned fabric in the cart.

"Sango-chan, do you think Kagome should have a kimono to wear? I know she likes to wear her uniform but so many have come back torn or stained."

The demon slayer looked away briefly before meeting her friend's mother's squarely. "I've never mentioned this to her, Higurashi-san, but her outfit is quite indecent, especially for a priestess in the Sengoku Jidai. I know she doesn't see herself as a true miko but those we come across do."

"Hmm, traditional dress would be better."

"However, she refuses to wear the traditional miko garb like Kikyo wore. It makes her look too much like the other woman."

"Yes, I know. Perhaps if we modify it…" Mama explained her idea, earning instant agreement from the slayer.

"Yes, that should work."

Plan laid out, the two women grabbed one the last thing on their list, a box of pins, and with a still excited cub, left the store with their purchases.

Lunch was interesting as they watched a kitsune child with eagle eyes to make sure he didn't wander off or snatch someone else's food. As promised, Shippou got candy afterward but noticed that it was a smaller amount than Kagome usually gave him. When he questioned Sango, she told him it was because he was eating far too much for their liking. The pants that had barely fit him were evidence of his recent overindulgence. Now sheepish, the fox cub agreed and wondered if he could hoodwink Kagome into buying him more when she took him shopping later.

Mama took them home once lunch was over, both now with a heavy dose of culture shock. It was slightly after one in the afternoon and while the two felines were not in sight, the boys and Jii-chan were sitting at the table eating. "Boys, I was wondering if you could give us a hand. There are some bags at the top of the shrine steps. Could you please bring them inside?"

"I would be honored, Higurashi-san," Miroku said, rising.

"Sure, Higurashi-okaasan. Did you behave yourself, runt?"

"Uh-huh," the young boy answered.

Miroku and Inuyasha left to do as they were asked. Upon their return, the half demon gave Sango a pleading look. "Please tell me most of this is staying here."

"Of course. We bought fabric to make clothes. Higurashi-san has the perfect idea to make more suitable clothes for Kagome to wear in our era."

"More suitable?" he asked blankly.

"Well, her skirt is king of…short," the monk answered for his fiancée.

The hanyou pondered the idea for a moment before giving a wicked grin. "Would it stop the wolf from looking up her skirt?"

"With this, she wouldn't _have_ a skirt," Sango assured him. She was well aware of one of the reasons Kouga never slowed down until he was right on top of them.

"Wolf? Don't tell me there's a wolf around my granddaughter."

"He's referring to Kouga, of the Wolf Demon Tribe. He has two shards in his legs and I'm afraid he's taken a bit of a shine to our young miko, Higurashi-sama," Miroku admitted. "When he arrives, it's usually in a whirlwind that I'm afraid does alter the lay of her skirt."

Inuyasha's grin got larger, his fangs glistening almost malevolently. "Heh, perfect. Oh, the doctor called while you were gone. She said to come in after school."

It took a moment for Mama to understand what he was talking about since Kagome's doctor was a male but since Inuyasha didn't understand the concept of receptionists, it figured that he would think the doctor contacted them personally. "Thank you, that's wonderful." Pleased with the results, she began putting things away.

"If you have no need of my help, Higurashi-san, I believe I'll go rest until it's time to leave," Sango said, calling for Kirara. The nekomata trotted in from the living room, her eyes bright with curiosity.

"That's fine, dear. You've had quite the day. I'll come get you when it's time."

"Thank you." Picking her companion up, Sango left to go rest in her friend's room, ignoring the inquiring glances her betrothed shot her way.

"Oi, Sango, Miroku said you took his money. Any of it left?" Inuyasha asked.

Glancing over her shoulder at the two males, the demon exterminator raised a brow meaningfully. "What do you think?" she asked before continuing on her way.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," she heard him grumble. His response made her laugh.

Shopping in the future was simply _delightful_.


	9. Chapter 9

_A/N: A group to thank for reviews: __**AuthoressAurora17**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**Rukia's Reflection**__, __**ShahzysAngelette**__, __**Esha Napoleon**__, __**Emerald Tsukino**__, __**hollownature**__, __**Taraah36**__, and __**Dragon and Sword Master**__. And thank you to anyone who added this or its author to their lists. Okay folks, I know it's short but I'm just getting into the swing of things again. Some of you know that I've recently had a tough time lately and it just wasn't in me to write. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this one and I will endeavor not to make you wait so long for the next one._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_A Little Vacation_

_Ch. 9_

Inuyasha was waiting for Souta when he got out of school. The eight year old could have stayed home with only his grandfather for company but all things considered, it was probably best that he wasn't left alone. It wasn't that he didn't trust the boy it was just that with all the Feudal Era weaponry that was now hanging around the shrine, it was liable to be too great of a temptation to resist. The last thing Inuyasha wanted was for Kagome's mother to come back and find her son trapped underneath Hiraikotsu. Or he'd try swinging Miroku's staff and end up cutting himself with the sharp points.

Either way, the half demon figured it was safer all around if Souta accompanied them to the doctor's. Gold eyes surveyed the school yard, instinctively looking for danger. He didn't find anything to concern him as Souta ran up to him, a young girl on his heels.

"Inu-no-niichan!"

"Come on, squirt, your sister's got that doctor's appointment in a bit."

"I'm not going too, am I?" Apprehension colored the boy's scent and the dog demon narrowed his gaze.

"Why, are you not feeling well?"

"No! I'm fine, I just thought maybe Mom was having us both checked over."

"Keh, it'll just be the runt, Miroku, Sango, your sister, and I that are getting examined. You're fine." Inuyasha couldn't detect any underlying sickness in the boy's scent. Unless infatuation could be considered a sickness.

"Ano…" the girl murmured, staring in fascination at the teen with the silver-white hair.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Hitomi! You haven't met Inuyasha yet, have you?" Souta inquired, blushing at his lapse in manners. "This is Inuyasha, my sister's _boyfriend_," he introduced, stressing the last word to tease his hero a bit.

Inuyasha growled, having learned a while ago what the term meant. "You like to push your luck, don't you?" Making sure to hide his fangs, he looked at Hitomi. "Nice to meet you, kid. Souta told Kagome and me a lot about you."

"Really?" she asked, stars entering her eyes.

"Sure," the half demon agreed, tempted to tell the young girl that Souta had agonized over confessing for days before he'd found the courage to do so.

Souta, knowing he was walking a fine line with the dog demon decided that it was probably best that they left now while he still held some secrets from Hitomi. "Nii-chan, you said we had to go?" he questioned.

"Yeah, if I don't get your sister, she'll end up dragged somewhere by those friends of hers. It was nice to meet you, Hitomi."

"It was nice to meet you, Inuyasha-san," the school girl said, bowing. Turning to Souta, she gave his cheek a kiss and went to catch up to some of her friends who were waiting for her.

"I'll call you later, Hitomi!" Souta called, waving goodbye.

"Sap," Inuyasha teased, walking at the boy's pace.

"Like you don't sit around waiting for Sis to come back to the Feudal Era," the youngest Higurashi shot back and had to dodge a casual swipe of deadly claws.

"Not much to do otherwise," Inuyasha defended, picking Souta up by his backpack. "Get on my back and hang on. I'm taking the shorter route."

"Shorter route?" Souta squeaked. His sister's school was only around the corner.

Shorter turned out to be via several roof tops, much to his delight. He'd only ridden on the half demon's back once before and he hadn't been able to enjoy the experience due to the fact that a cursed mask was trying to kill his sister. The danger had kind of put a damper on the occasion.

Their descent to the ground was a free fall, Souta clinging for dear life to the back of his hero, too afraid to utter even a tiny scream. "That was awesome!" he cried after his heart stopped pounding. "Can we do it again?"

Looking into wide, hopeful brown eyes, Inuyasha grinned, his fangs peaking out. "Sure, we'll take the high road to the doctor's place. You'll have to share with Kagome though."

"Who cares?"

Chuckling, Inuyasha ruffled the boy's hair and turned to walk out of the alley they had landed in to avoid detection. "I thought you were terrified."

"Yeah, but in a good way, like when I ride on a roller coaster and the cars suddenly go down a really steep hill." Souta grinned at the older male, delighted.

"Well, you're definitely Kagome's brother," Inuyasha muttered. Were all the Higurashis touched in the head?

"I heard that," a feminine voice declared from in front of them. Kagome stared back at the two, hands fisted on her hips, one foot tapping in irritation.

"Keh," Inuyasha scoffed, surprised that she'd picked up on his comment. Her hearing could be remarkable at the most inconvenient times. "Let's go, Kagome. Your mother made an appointment for you with the healer. She and the others will meet us there."

"All right," the priestess said, turning back to the three school girls who had followed her. "I have to go now, guys. I'll have to invite you over another day," she excused, smiling brightly although she wasn't comfortable about having Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka at the shrine while Sango and the other were there. It would be difficult for her Feudal Era friends to relax around the modern trio. At least with her family, there was no need to pretend that they understood twentieth century technology. It would be difficult to explain the confusion Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and Inuyasha felt when faced with a machine that hadn't existed five hundred years ago.

"Don't worry about it, Kagome. Your health is more important. We'll see you at school tomorrow," Ayumi said, waving her friend on.

"Yeah, we can always have a sleepover some other time," Eri added.

"Thanks guys, you're the best," Kagome called, trailing after her brother and Inuyasha. Once out of sight, she climbed onto her protector's back along with her brother and let him take them to the roof of the nearest building. From there they traveled swiftly, the half demon following Souta's directions.

* * *

><p>They met Kagome's mother outside of a large building, the other members of their group looking around them in wonder. Since their arrival, the only ones who had left the shrine for any length of time were Sango and Shippou. Miroku was the most fascinated; so far his exposure to the Modern Era limited to what was in the house and on the TV.<p>

"There you are, dears. Just in time, too. Hurry, we don't want to be late," Mama ushered, making sure that all the teens and the two young boys went ahead of her.

The doctor's office held one other family, a father and mother with a little girl who glanced shyly at Shippou but did not approach. The kitsune cub kept close to Kagome, the foreign scents assaulting his nose making him nervous. With a look from his new grandmother, the inutachi sat side by side stiffly and waited for their time with doctor.

The young miko looked sideways at her friends and tried to put on a reassuring smile. "You don't have anything to worry about, you guys."

Miroku coughed in discomfort, his violet eyes darting to the front of the room where a nurse was coming out. "You'll have to pardon us for not feeling completely at ease."

"It's completely painless, you'll see," she answered as her name was called. Flashing a grin, she went in alone, wanting her mother to stay and keep the others company. Despite what she said, Kagome was worried about her friends. Any moment now she expected one of them to freak out because of something they didn't understand. Either that or they'd do something that was entirely in keeping with their true personality. The last thing they needed was for Miroku to ask a random woman to have his child or for Sango to knock him senseless for his lecherous behavior.

Glancing at the nurse, she hopped onto the scale, wanting to get her check up over with quickly. "Let's get this over with," she said to the other woman.

She suddenly wasn't too sure of leaving her mother alone with her friends.


	10. Chapter 10

_A/N: Some people to thank for reviews: __**Dragon and Sword Master**__, __**ShahzysAngelette**__, __**Rukia's Reflection**__, __**Taraah36**__, __**hollownature**__, __**SilverStella**__, __**Esha Napoleon**__, and __**Emerald Tsukino**__. And thank you to anyone who put this or its author on their lists. Someone suggested doing a recap so for those who don't remember what happened last time; the gang is going to the doctor's for checkups. Kagome's just gone in and now the rest are out in the waiting room._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_A Little Vacation_

_Ch. 10_

Sango gazed after her friend, tightening her hold on the cub that now sat on her lap. Despite Kagome's reassurances, the slayer knew that there was a lot to be apprehensive about in regards to their upcoming examine. Doctors were few and far between in the Feudal Era, and only a rich noble or the emperor would have one in attendance at all times. Normally someone only saw a healer when they were sick or injured. The concept of preventive care was nowhere in the inutachi's lexicon. Most people in their time depended on the village miko for medical help. The very idea of allowing a man who was not her husband see her without her clothes disturbed her. And unlike when Miroku spied on them, she couldn't hit the doctor over the head with Hiraikotsu.

"Sango, I'm bored," Shippou complained, gazing up at the slayer.

By dint of long experience they knew that a bored kitsune cub was a kitsune cub that went looking for mischief to get into. Neither of the older males nor Sango wanted a repeat of what happened one day when Shippou decided to relieve his ennui by pulling pranks on the farmers and housewives in Kaede's village. As the fox demon's "guardians," the old priestess had held them responsible. The only one to get out of her punishment had been Kagome and that was only because she had been in the Modern Era at the time of the incident. No one had told her of the havoc her little "angel" had caused, not wanting to disillusion the school girl at the time. If he did something this time, there was no way to hide the damage.

Sango's eyes slid to the only other small child in the room and smiled gently. "Why don't you go explore those toys, Shippou-chan? That little girl looks like she could use a friend." Emerald eyes studied the other child and a sharp nose took a discreet sniff.

"She's sick," he said quietly, a sad note in his voice.

"Then maybe you can cheer her up," Miroku suggested.

"Keh, she's a human pup, runt. She doesn't have anything you can catch. Show her some of your small magic tricks." Inuyasha watched the boy hop down and wander over to the little girl. The half dog demon glanced over to Kagome's mother when the older woman put a hand on his arm.

"Inuyasha-kun?" Higurashi-san asked.

"The kid's got something in her that's making her sick but Shippou can't catch regular sicknesses from humans." Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably, straining to hear what was going on beyond the door separating the waiting room from the rest of the office.

"I see. I'm sure Shippou-chan will cheer her up then." Mama smiled and picked up a magazine.

"You're taking this all quite calmly, Higurashi-san," Miroku noted, gazing at the colored books in fascination. He couldn't even read most of the kanji.

"Should I be surprised or scared? The moment Inuyasha came to get my daughter I knew that she had a destiny that was greater than being just a normal school girl."

"Not that," he said, although it wasn't the first time he'd thought she was behaving differently from the mothers he knew. "I meant having us all here in a doctor's office to get examined. There are several things that could go wrong because of our lack of knowledge."

"That's to be expected," Mama said airily. "You're unfamiliar with our methods. I'm sure as intelligent young adults you'll do just fine."

Miroku opened his mouth to elaborate but closed it when he caught Inuyasha shaking his head. "Don't bother, Miroku. I've learned not to argue with her." The elder Higurashi woman had always bemused him but he had learned not to question her seemingly obliviousness.

Sango, who had heard the conversation between her fiancé and Kagome's mother, frowned at the two men. "If anything goes wrong, it's going to be you two who cause it to happen."

"My dear Sango, how can you say that?" Miroku asked, managing to sound hurt.

"Keh," Inuyasha retorted. He already knew he tended to overreact to things he didn't understand in Kagome's time.

Before she could say anything more, Kagome came to the door and smiled at them. "Okay, so who wants to go next?" she asked, waving a lollipop as an enticement.

"Either she's trying to bribe us, or she wants Shippou to go first," Miroku commented, wondering why a small treat would be enough to make them want to put themselves in a vulnerable position.

"I'll go!" Shippou shouted, running to her and jumping into her arms. The miko hugged him, keeping the lollipop out of reach and smiling triumphantly at her friends.

"When it comes to candy, no one can be bribed faster than Shippou," Sango said with a laugh. "It was her plan all along to get him to go next."

"I wonder what she'll use next," Miroku mused.

"Depends on who she wants to wrap around her finger," Mama answered, completely serious.

At the shocked look the boys gave the woman Sango burst out laughing, catching the twinkle in the other woman's eyes. "If she comes out with ramen, we'll know it's Inuyasha and if it's a beautiful nurse, we'll know she wants Miroku," the slayer added, her amusement continuing.

"How you malign me, my dear!" the monk protested.

"Are you saying she's wrong?" Inuyasha charged.

"I'm devoted to my beloved Sango," Miroku defended. "I will not be distracted by a pretty face."

"Of course, Miroku-kun," Mama said and calmly went back to her reading.

Sango just snickered and held out her hand. "The contents of your wallet if she does what I think she will," the slayer offered, knowing he'd take the bait.

"All right, since you seem so confident," Miroku agreed willingly, falling into her trap.

"Idiot," Inuyasha said and rolled his eyes. Honestly, who did the monk think he was fooling?

That money was as good as gone.

* * *

><p>Kagome sat with Shippou waiting for the doctor, the nurse having just left after taking his vitals. She had worried over the numbers until the other woman had assured her that they were all normal for a kitsune his age except for his weight. "Looks like it's official, Shippou. You definitely have to lay off the sweets."<p>

"But…"

"The nurse says you weigh six kilos more than you should."

"Kilo?" the young cub asked confused.

"Let's see, you probably use _kanme_ to measure weight or mass, right? Well, one _kanme_ is roughly equal to 3.75 kilograms. This makes you, my little cub, almost two kanme overweight."

Shippou's eyes widened in disbelief. "Two _kanme_?" he squeaked.

"Yup, two. Don't you remember how your pants were tight when I gave you the modern ones to wear before coming here?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, Kagome. If I exercise more and eat more vegetables, can I still have my candy?" he begged, looking up at her with imploring emerald eyes.

"We'll see," she answered, determined not to be fooled by his watery puppy eyes this time. The others thought she caved far too often when he turned them on her.

"Okaa-san used to say that," the kitsune child murmured and sighed. "She always meant 'no.'"

"Your mother?" Kagome asked, surprised that he had brought her up. He rarely mentioned his mother and when he did, it was often only in vague reference. The one he talked about the most was his father.

"Yeah, it was mostly when I wanted to eat something before dinner was ready."

"Ah, I see, a very smart mother indeed who knew her cub well." Kagome smiled, kissing the top of his head. "So you liked sweets even then."

"Uh-huh!" He smiled brightly just as the doctor came in. "She was the best!"

"I know the feeling," Kagome murmured before giving her full attention to the doctor.

Her mother was the best too.

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes later she was holding a traumatized kitsune child who was crying his heart out because the doctor had forbidden him from eating more than one piece of candy a day. When Kagome had cut him off he still had a chance to convince her to change her mind. Now that it was "Doctor's orders," he wouldn't be seeing anything for a long, long time.<p>

"Here, Shippou, Dr. Yamato said you could have this," the miko tried to soothe, holding the lollipop out. The green color almost matched his eyes and he stared at it for a minute, sniffing.

"I can?"

"Sure, he always gives these out to good boys and girls who've been to see him." She really was a poor guardian if bribing her charge was the best way she could get him to stop his tears.

"Really? Okay," he said, sticking the small treat in his mouth, tears ceasing almost immediately.

The nurse that was walking out with them smiled, laughing quietly. "He's such a good boy," she commented, patting him on the head.

"He is," Kagome praised. "I was pleasantly surprised when he didn't try to play with any of the doctor's instruments or supplies. He's such a curious child that I was sure he'd be all over the place."

When neither female was looking, he smiled, a devilish light appearing in previously wet eyes. He'd been good throughout the whole examine so he was likely to be rewarded whereas the other two guys would probably make a fuss and destroy something because of their idiocy and the fact that Kagome wouldn't be there to stop them. They'd get punished for it later while both Sango and Kagome made a fuss over him. "Kagome, can we go home now?" he asked, leaning back in her arms.

"Let's ask Mama to take you and Souta back," she suggested, seeing that her brother was bored to tears and struggling to ignore the conversation around him while doing his homework. Sango noticed her first and pointed to Miroku, who was oblivious to the priestess' presence. "Hmm, looks like getting Miroku in here will be easier than I thought." She had asked the pretty nurse to come with her, thinking it would be easier to lure the monk into the other room with a beautiful woman at her side than just a suggestion that he go next.

"There goes his money," Shippou heard Inuyasha mutter and watched as the monk lit up when his name was called. Miroku went willingly to his financial doom, forgetting until he couldn't escape that he'd made a bet.

Mama smiled, remembering the conversation and stood. "So, was it as bad as you thought it would be?" she asked kindly, holding out her arms for Shippou.

"He's slightly overweight and has to cut back on the sweets but other than that, he's a pretty healthy young kitsune."

"Keh, I could have told you that," Inuyasha said, staring hard at his miko. "And what about you, wench?"

"I'm run down and need to take some vitamins but after a little more rest, I should be fine."

"That's good, dear. Why don't I take Shippou and Souta back home so they can eat? That way you and the others can explore the city a bit once you're done here."

"That sounds like a good idea."

"We can go?" Souta perked up, closing his books excitedly.

"Sure," his sister agreed. "There's no use in hanging around here. You can play with Shippou while we're gone. He needs a bit more exercise than he's been getting."

"That's because you always carry him," Inuyasha pointed out. He wasn't surprised when she ignored him.

"Then it's settled, let's go boys," Mama announced, smiling. With a small wave she left the three remaining teens alone to wait for their friend.

Kagome sank into the chair Miroku had vacated with a sigh. Leaning to one side she rested her head on Inuyasha's shoulder. "What's the matter, Kagome?" he asked, knowing she only sought comfort when something was wrong.

"I'm a bad guardian, aren't I? I give him practically everything he asks for and don't make him exercise to make up for the fact that I give him far too much candy."

"You're not a bad guardian," Sango argued. "Yes, you spoil him a bit and not a lot of children get to be treated like that where we come from, but he hasn't turned into an outright brat because of it. We've all taken responsibility for him so it's not like we couldn't object or remind you of these things. Sure, he needs to run around and practice his magic more but he's still pretty much a child even though he's actually older than everyone but Inuyasha. In a time where war and famine are prevalent, maybe him getting to be the child he is, is the best thing. None of us except you know what that's like so he's gaining good experiences through your spoiling."

"As long as you punish him when he really is bad, he should turn out all right," Inuyasha added, patting her arm lightly. "We don't want him to be a kitsune who grows up just to trick people, now do we?"

"No," Kagome agreed. She'd really feel guilty if that ever happened.

"There, you see? Even Inuyasha agrees."

"Thank you, guys." Lifting her head, she smiled at them and looked at the door to the inner offices. "Now does someone want to tell me why Miroku _volunteered_ to go next?"

"Sango tricked him," Inuyasha snorted, trying to hide his laugh. "You bribed Shippou with a lollipop so he'd go in first. Sango figured you'd do something likewise to get us to do the same so she bet Miroku that you'd bring out a pretty woman to lure him in."

"And just what was the bet for?" Kagome asked weakly, trying not to laugh.

"The entire contents of his wallet," her taijiya friend said proudly.

"Poor Miroku," Kagome sighed.

The other two just laughed.

* * *

><p><em>AN: A __**kanme**__ is an ancient form of measurement for mass and is Chinese in origin. According to Wikipedia (citation needed so could be incorrect) it was officially adopted in Japan in 701AD. It's measurement has hardly changed through the years and as of the 1891 definition, one __**kanme **__was equal to 3.75 kilograms. (1kilo equals 2.2lbs.). This makes Shippou roughly thirteen pounds overweight._


	11. Chapter 11

_A/N: I have a list of people to thank for reviews: __**MissKitty35**__, __**Rukia's Reflection**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**ShazysAngelette**__, __**Dragon and Sword Master**__, __**Esha Napoleon**__, and __**Taraah36**__. And thank you to anyone who put this or its author on their lists. I have to extend a special thank you to __**jaimed1968**__ who informed me that this was nominated for __**"Best Humorous Fanfiction" March 2012**__ at the __**Feudal Association**__. It didn't win but I'm honored all the same. And I can't believe this story had the same update history as my cross over. I apologize for making everyone wait since February for a new chapter._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_A Little Vacation_

_Ch. 11_

Miroku realized the moment the door to the waiting room closed behind him that he'd been had. Sango had cheerfully offered him up to Kagome, and he'd gone willingly, completely forgetting their bed. "This way, sir," the nurse said. A smiled danced in her eyes, and there was laughter in her voice that she made no effort to hide.

Once in a room, he took the opportunity to study his surroundings. Dozens of objects that he didn't recognize or understand the purpose of covered the counters, along with some of the things that his miko friend kept in her first aid kit. Pictures of internal organs graced the walls, showing him in detail things he'd seen far too many times thanks to the gutted bodies of fallen soldiers and villagers that he'd come across in his travels.

"Open up," the half demon health care worker ordered, shoving a thermometer in his face. Kagome had used one on him before so he calmly slipped it under his tongue and waited until it properly calculated his temperature. She clucked her tongue slightly at the read out but didn't comment further. The monk took that to mean it wasn't as it should be. Taking the experience in stride, he allowed her to go about taking down the information she needed, using the various instruments around her. It wasn't until she reached for the wrist covered by the rosary that he reacted. Jerking back instinctively, Miroku shifted uncomfortably.

"Please use the other wrist, dear lady."

"I apologize, Kazaana-sama," the nurse muttered, bowing in apology.

"You're forgiven," he said, smiling jovially. "Perhaps there will be a day when I no longer need to be cautious, but for now, it is safer to avoid taking unnecessary risks."

"As you wish."

The cuff she put around his left arm became uncomfortable, making him wonder if she or the doctor would continue to poke and prod him throughout the examination. Having completed her tasks, the nurse left him alone to change into a backless gown (something he was thankful that the others couldn't see). It required him to be a bit of a contortionist but he managed to get the ties in the back done up and sat on the paper sheet, awaiting his fate.

Kagome's doctor was easygoing, taking his presence and ignorance of all things modern in stride as if nothing was out of the ordinary. "So, it appears that your temperature is a little high and your blood pressure is elevated but that's to be expected. Let me listen to your heart and lungs." The older man put one end of the stethoscope against Miroku's chest, commanding him to breathe deeply at certain intervals. A frown began to form on his face as he went on, worry darkening aged brown eyes.

Dr. Yomoto lost his easygoing air and turned away to consult the pile of papers the nurse had been writing in before. "Ah, I see."

"Sensei?" Miroku questioned, wondering what had the man so concerned.

"It is virtually undetectable, but your heart and lungs seem to be affected by your work, Houshi-sama."

"My entire body suffers for my 'work,' as you say, sir."

"The poisons you suck in can do great damage to your vital organs, Kazaana-sama. It is best that you find a way to limit exposing your wind tunnel to such things. Either that, or have a person with strong spiritual powers purge it from your system immediately upon contact. The first option is of course preferable but I know that at this point in time that is not possible."

"I'm afraid the second one isn't either. There is only one other person whom I work with that can purify poisons to the degree that would be necessary has not trained sufficiently to be able to perform such a complicated task without the aid of a certain object that I would prefer never enter my body." Miroku shifted, the thought of Kagome using her purifying arrows to rid his body of Naraku's poison making him nervous. She had done it before to Kouga but the wolf demon didn't have a wind tunnel in the palm of his hand that could and would suck anything and everything in it if the seal wasn't there. With their luck she'd either get sucked in or the arrow would slice the hole open even more. As much as he acted like a pervert in front of the young priestess, she was a friend and even a type of younger sister and he would never put her in danger if it were possible. Perhaps one day when all was said and done Kagome could take the time to practice her abilities and be able to purify poisons from the body without the help of her arrows. Until then he'd just have to rely on his own body's ability and hope that they killed Naraku before he succumbed to the madman's miasma, or the poison of his insects.

"Understandable, I suppose. Young Kagome is new to her powers and hasn't reached her full potential. The time will come." Yomoto sighed and scribbled something into the chart that he'd been making. "Well, as we can't do anything about the poisons, the only things I can prescribe to help your body at this point are vitamins and rest. Let me finish examining you just to make sure there isn't something I _can_ fix."

"By all means."

"I must say, Kazaana-sama, you are taking all of these in stride."

"All of this?" Miroku asked, confused.

"The modern technology. Sesshoumaru-sama warned me that I might have difficulty with you and the others."

"Ah, well… Wait, what does Sesshoumaru have to do with this?" The monk straightened, his senses stretching in an effort to make sure that the demon lord was nowhere nearby.

"Pardon me; I assumed you knew, Kazaana-sama. Sesshoumaru-sama made sure that I would be the only one to take care of the young Kagome Higurashi. When he knew of your visitation to this era, he asked that I look after you as well."

Miroku stared at the doctor for several moments before the significance of his words sunk in. "You are aware of our origin?" the not-quite-holy Buddhist monk asked cautiously.

"Of course, Kazaana-sama. His Majesty was quite specific in his instructions." The doctor smiled and motioned to Miroku's clothes. "Besides, the you of this era hardly ever wears his robes anymore."

"I see," the violet eyed man said, feeling as if he'd missed something important. He'd have to discuss it with the others once they were back at the shrine.

"Now then, enough of that." Brown eyes twinkled as the doctor put on a glove. "Could you bend over and cough for me?"

"What for?" Miroku questioned, thoroughly confused.

The other man's smile got wider and he chuckled. "You'll see."

"I believe young Kagome forgot to inform me of something important," Miroku muttered.

Ten minutes later as he was walking out into the waiting room, the Buddhist monk that should have been practicing forgiveness was plotting ways to get back at the not-so-innocent priestess that greeted with him a smile.

* * *

><p>Kagome smiled in welcome at the young man that her best friend was in love with and didn't fail to miss the light in his eyes that signaled he was plotting something. "See, Inuyasha, Miroku came out in one piece and no worse for wear."<p>

"Keh," the dog demon scoffed, not convinced that something strange hadn't happened.

"Yes, Inuyasha, I am indeed in one piece. I insist that you go next," Miroku said, eager for the chance to get a moment alone with the young schemer.

"That doctor didn't do anything weird, did he?" Inuyasha asked suspiciously. Miroku was acting a little odd.

"Of course not. He did nothing he wasn't supposed to. I even learned some interesting information that I will share with you all once we're back at the shrine."

Knowing evasiveness when he heard it, much less smelled it, Inuyasha held back a snort. "Interesting, huh? Well, I guess if you came back in one piece, then I won't have to worry about anything. Are you going to come hold my hand, wench?"

Kagome blushed and shook her head. She wasn't quite sure what the differences between a guy's physical and a girl's were but if he had to get undressed, she knew he'd have a fit if she was there to see him without his clothes on. "It wouldn't be appropriate. You'll be fine as long as you listen to what they say and don't break anything. Besides, you've seen most of what's in the examining room from my first aid kit so there shouldn't be too many surprises."

Miroku grinned behind the magazine he'd picked up. "No, not _too_ many. You'll be fine, Inuyasha. A big, bad hanyou like yourself shouldn't have any problems with a little look over from a doctor. I assure you that it's virtually painless. That cuff was a little uncomfortable but I'm sure you'll hardly feel it."

Sango, who had been silent until then, frowned. "What are you up to, Houshi-sama?"

"Why, nothing, my dear."

"Uh-huh."

"Fine, I'll go. At least it won't take long…" With a sigh, Inuyasha got to his feet and shuffled off to the nurse who had been waiting patiently.

Once Miroku was sure that the sharp eared half demon was out of the way, he lowered the article he'd been trying to read without much success and smiled meaningfully. "Now then, Lady Kagome, I have a bone to pick with you," he said, setting the magazine aside.

"Yes?" Kagome inquired, warning bells going off.

"Does the phrase 'bend over and cough' mean anything to you?"

"No, not really…" Kagome answered although something told her she'd heard it somewhere before.

"Then allow me to explain…" Five minutes later one demon slayer and one miko were red in the face while Miroku was unconscious thanks to the former. He might wake up with a concussion but at least he'd gotten to see the look on Kagome's face when he'd explained things.

It had been worth every ounce of pain he'd be feeling later.


	12. Chapter 12

_A/N: There's quite the handful to thank for reviews: "__**Guest**__," __** . **__, __**LadyCash**__, __**Rukia's Reflection**__, __**hollownature**__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**Taraah36**__, __**Dragon and Sword Master**__, __**kokoronagomu**__, and __**Esha Napoleon**__. And thank you to everyone who put this or its author on their lists. I can't believe it's been almost a year and a half since I updated this. I bow in humble apology. You probably thought I'd given up on it. Nope. Here it is. Not quite sure it's up to my usual standards but it's a start. Please enjoy._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_A Little Vacation_

_Ch. 12_

Inuyasha knew he was going to regret agreeing to this "exam." Sesshoumaru had already informed Kaede of what was wrong with him so there was really no reason for him to be here. However, he also knew that if he tried to turn around and return to the waiting room, he would be in for the sit of his life. He'd rather not find out what happened to his body when he was pushed forcefully through at least one floor of a stories tall building.

The nurse smiled at him nervously and he was tempted to snarl halfheartedly just to see what she would do. Somehow he couldn't see Mama being too pleased with him if he scared a healer out of her wits. "Let's get this over with."

"Yes, my lord." The half demon didn't bother to hide his impatience from her as she took his "vitals." Why she needed to know how fast his heart was pumping the blood through his veins was beyond him but he let her do it. He even settled for a mild glare when a cuff of some sort put pressure on his arm. Inuyasha thought he was doing pretty well until she tried to stick an instrument to measure his temperature in his ear.

That was the last straw and he growled a warning, pleased when she backed off immediately. "No one touches my ears." Okay, so that wasn't precisely true but she didn't need to know that. He only let the Higurashi women get away with it when he was unconscious or asleep.

"Forgive me, my lord, but I need to take your temperature."

"There must be some other way."

"Well, yes…"

"Then do it." The petrified woman excused herself and rushed to get a different kind of thermometer. When she returned, he stuck it under his tongue as directed, ignoring her complaints that it wasn't going to be as accurate a reading as the one from his ear would have been.

"The doctor will be with you shortly, Taisho-sama," the nurse said curtly and left without bowing. Obviously he had angered her to the point of being rude.

"Keh," he scoffed, not caring about her opinion.

The doctor kept him waiting for several minutes, leading to an intensely bored hanyou. Sharp claws tapped lightly on the exam table, the leather thankfully made of sturdy youkai hide for just such an occasion. Approaching steps had the impatient male narrowing his eyes at the slow shuffle. Someone was apparently a bit apprehensive about checking him over.

"About time," Inuyasha groused when the doctor came in.

"Forgive me, my lord, I needed to take a small break. It's a pleasure to see you so active. Your vitals are a bit higher than average but with some more rest I think that will change. Shall we have a look see?" Dr. Yamato had been warned that he wouldn't be a good patient but that wasn't really surprising. His future self wasn't either and his brother never had been.

"Whatever," the half demon scoffed. Taking off his shirt, he allowed the doctor to listen to his heart. A hum passed the other man's lips and not even his sharp ears could detect the meaning. An examination of his claws came next and a nod of satisfaction reassured the half demon that at least those were in top fighting condition. Obviously the raw meat he'd eaten before coming to the future had helped matters.

"Well, now, you're in better shape than I'd supposed. A bit of time here resting has really done you a lot of good."

"Yeah, well, don't tell Kagome that. I'll never hear the end of it."

"As you wish, my lord. I just want to finish a regular physical on you, if that's okay. It won't take but a few more minutes."

"Sure, fine, whatever…"

Fifteen minutes later a roar let loose throughout the doctor's office, making the remaining shard hunters flinch and one lecherous monk in particular cringe. "Houshi-sama, did you by any chance suggest that the doctor do a complete examine on our hanyou friend?" Sango asked, steeling herself for an enraged half demon to come out into the waiting room at any moment.

"Why, yes, my dear, now that you mention it…"

"Miroku…" Kagome sighed, shaking her head. "If _you_ didn't like it, can you imagine Inuyasha's reaction?"

A moment later Inuyasha slammed open the door, his hair in wild disarray and his shirt in his hands. "Miroku, prepare yourself."

"Now, now, my good friend. You shouldn't do anything that will upset our dear ladies."

"I'm going to slaughter you when we get home."

"Inuyasha, please let it go. It really was part of the exam. If I'd known about it before you went in, I would have told you. Miroku only explained it to us after you went in. I'm sorry." Kagome went to him, reaching up to lightly tug on one of his forelocks. An ear twitched, indicating that he had heard her although he was still glaring at the monk over her head.

His irritation went out the window the moment he gazed down at her. A large sigh left his body and he slumped a bit. "Keh." Kagome gave him a brilliant smile and he made a mental note not to look at her the next time he wanted to kill an opponent she considered a friend. Moving away a bit, he tugged his shirt back over his head and collapsed into a chair next to Sango.

"All right, now that that's settled. Shall we go in, Sango? I'll be right there with you, if you want."

"I'm afraid that's going to have to wait a moment, Kagome-sama," the nurse said, leaning against the door frame. One hand waved a piece of paper in front of her face while the other smoothed down her hair. "His lordship made quite a mess of the examination room. We'll need to clean it up first."

"Why, don't you have others? Sango's human so you shouldn't need anything youkai resistant."

"True… However, I believe Doctor Yamato may need a few moments rest."

"Ah, say no more, good lady. We understand completely," Miroku soothed although he would have like to have left the office as soon as possible.

"I see," their miko murmured, her eyes narrowing on the half dog demon in their midst. "Inuyasha…"

"Yes…?" he squeaked, ears laying back in distress. He knew that look.

"If we were back home, you know what I'd do, don't you?"

"I have an idea…"

"You're so lucky we're not back in the village or at the shrine." The other two watched the deep breaths she took, amazed that she was able to keep her temper under wraps despite her anger. Her aura practically blazed with the emotion.

The nurse watched the entire thing with wonder, having heard the rumors but never having seen the famous miko's temper as it was now for herself. To have the famous Inuyasha Taisho cowed was something to see and she was half tempted to go call her friends about what she was seeing. However, the elder Taisho had warned everyone in the doctor's office that if his brother's younger self was discovered to have been in the present era because of their loose lips, a harsh punishment would be metered out. Punishment in Sesshoumaru's case was usually death and she rather liked living. She'd have to be satisfied with the memory.

A noise behind her drew her attention to the doctor and he weakly waved in the last patient. "All right, he'll see the last one now. Please be kind," she asked, stepping back when Sango came towards her.

"Sango is always kind," Kagome automatically defended her friend, following without being asked.

"Except when she's beating the idiot monk up," Inuyasha muttered and got a glare for his troubles just as the door closed.

"You just love digging yourself a hole, don't you?" Miroku commented with a sigh. "I'm just glad this day is almost over. The thing I would like most is to eat dinner and go home. Or go home and eat dinner, whichever is easier."

"Don't worry, we should be out of here soon. Sango won't have any trouble with Kagome with her."

"Yes, I'm sure you're correct." Something suddenly niggled at the back of the monk's mind but he couldn't place what it was. Surely it couldn't have been important if he'd forgotten it so easily.

"I'm mean it's not like she stowed Kirara in her purse thing, right?" Inuyasha instantly shrugged the thought off. Kirara preferred to stay at the shrine rather than travel around the strange city with them. The smells probably got to her just as much as they did to him.

"Stowed Kirara… Uh, that would be bad, wouldn't it?" Miroku laughed nervously. Maybe he shouldn't admit to what he'd just remembered.

"You think?" If Sango got upset about something and Kirara had been hiding in the purse, she would instantly spring into action, regardless of the danger in being discovered. The fire cat was extremely protective of the demon slayer.

"So I guess I shouldn't mention that she's been with us since we left the shrine?"

"She has?" Inuyasha asked, surprised that he hadn't sensed her.

"I believe she's buried herself among the 'female necessities' in Sango's little bag and has taken great pains to hide her presence from everyone with supernatural or spiritual senses."

"And Sango took the bag with her…"

"Yes…"

"Ah, hell."

"Uh-huh."

* * *

><p>Kagome was surprised when Kirara stuck her head out of Sango's purse the moment the older girl sat on the exam table. The young priestess didn't say anything so as not to startle the nurse and the nekomata ducked back inside once she was satisfied that nothing was wrong. Thinking that was the end of the matter, she went back to the magazine she was reading while the nurse took Sango's blood pressure.<p>

"Sango-sama, your blood pressure is a little elevated," the youkai said, a small trace of admonishment in her voice.

"I have quite a bit of stress so it shouldn't be a surprise." Kagome's mother had explained what blood pressure was and what could affect it, along with several other things that she didn't quite understand but might come across during her visit. Since learning that she would somehow survive to this time, Sango was trying to act as any young woman of this era would so as not to draw attention to the fact that she wasn't from the present.

"I suppose we both do," Kagome mused, flipping a page. "Of course, your betrothed might be adding a great deal to that."

"Indeed. I haven't hit him over the head in a while, maybe that would make me feel better."

"I rather doubt that, my lady. Perhaps you should try those breathing exercises the doctor prescribed Lady Kagome. I noticed they did a marvelous job earlier when she got mad at Inuyasha-sama."

"That _was_ rather remarkable," Sango agreed looking at her friend. Pink tinged the other girl's ears and the demon slayer couldn't help but smile. "I really thought she'd sit him through the floor."

"I haven't sat him through something in quite a while, Sango. It hurts his back, you know. He might heal fast but it would be just our luck that something dangerous would happen while he was recovering." She still felt slightly guilty for sitting him when he held a boulder. At the time she'd been too angry to care but afterward it had gotten to her.

"Ah, but you did want to sit him."

"Straight to the ground floor. Although, I guess I can't blame him. That is a rather embarrassing necessity for a guy's physical, isn't it? He was probably mortified and you know how he acts when embarrassed."

"Mm-hmm," the other girl murmured in agreement.

"Other than your blood pressure, you seem to be doing rather well, Sango-sama. I will send the doctor in now." The nurse left, never having spotted the small two tailed cat that lurked in the depths of the purse on the floor.

Kagome smiled at her friend. "These days of rest were just the thing. Don't you feel better?"

"I could have told you that without coming here."

"Yes, well, I knew too but you try telling Mama that we didn't need to come."

Sango remembered the older woman's look when they'd protested going earlier that day. It was a look she'd often seen on the miko but far, far more affective for being from a mother. "We did. We just got a _look_ and she made the appointments anyway."

"Mama's rather good at that. I'd hate to find out what she does when she's really angry."

"You've never seen her angry?" Sango questioned, just as the door opened again.

"Nope. She's been annoyed and scolded us but all in all, Mama's not one to get upset easily."

"Yes, I can see that," the slayer agreed, amused. It would clearly take a lot to make the woman lose her cool.

"How about we make this short, my ladies?" the doctor asked, cutting into their conversation.

"Yes, please," they chorused.

"Now then, I'm just going to lift your shirt to listen to your lungs…" A shout of protest left Sango's lips without thought. The doctor had his stethoscope raised and was just touching the hem of the shirt when a small growl filled the room. Shocked, the doctor drew back, thinking that the demon slayer had started to sound like a cat demon.

Kagome squeaked in surprise, forgetting Kirara and the fact that Sango might feel that the doctor's action would be inappropriate. "It's okay, Sango. He has to place the instrument against your skin in order to hear them clearly. Nothing improper will happen." She reached down, slipping her hand into the purse and petting a small head softly in reassurance.

"This will only take a few moments. Just take deep breaths until I tell you to stop."

Sango squeezed her eyes shut and did as the doctor ordered. Mortification colored her cheeks bright red and she prayed that it would be over quickly. Did girls in this era find it easy to bare their skin to men who were not related to them when there were no injuries to tend to?

"You can stop now, my lady. Now then, I'm going to press the metal part of this stethoscope to your chest and listen to your heart."

"_My chest?_" she screeched, Kirara jumping out and hissing at the old man.

"Sango, didn't Mama explain this before you came? I'm sure she would have told you what would happen…"

"Well, she said a lot that I didn't quite understand but…" _Had_ she mentioned this?

"I assure you that it's quite necessary, Lady Sango," Dr. Yamato added, glancing warily at Kirara. He hadn't sensed her before she came out into the open.

"Here, why don't you pet Kirara for a few moments first? Cats are great comforters and I'm sure she'll make you feel better. Plus, she'll be right there to protect you if he does anything wrong. You know she'd never let anyone hurt you." Kagome picked the nekomata up, giving her a pet herself in hopes of calming down a bit before putting her in her friend's arms.

After glaring at the doctor briefly, Kirara curled herself up on Sango's lap and began purring to try to calm her kitten down. The others in the room waited with bated breath for several minutes before the doctor felt it safe to test the waters again. Ruby eyes watched the healer closely, not as sure as Kagome that he wouldn't do anything wrong.

"There now, that wasn't so bad, was it? Perhaps you should have brought her in for everyone," the doctor mused towards Kagome, hanging the stethoscope around his neck.

"Well, I didn't know she was with us. Plus, Shippou wasn't going to do anything and the only way she could have made the guys behave was to sit on them. I don't think you'd want her to do that in here."

"Sit on them?" the doctor questioned, looking at the tiny cat demon.

"She could have held them down," Sango put in, scratching her small friend under the chin.

"True," the young priestess added. "Either method would have worked. Inuyasha might not have made a mess if she had. Ah, well, hindsight's always twenty-twenty."

"Mm," Sango muttered, straightening her shirt.

"I'm afraid I don't understand, my ladies."

"What do you mean? I thought you knew Sesshoumaru, Doctor. Surely you know who Kirara is and that this is only one of her forms." Kagome wrinkled her brow, wondering if she was missing something. When she had confronted him about knowing the demon lord, he had readily admitted it. It wasn't really surprising that he was still alive in this time so she had figured Kirara was still alive somewhere too.

"Well, the Kirara I know isn't quite like this…" the older man said, quickly going through the rest of his exam while the two girls were distracted. Perhaps he should have let them talk the entire time from the start.

"What's she like?" Kagome asked, interested to know what the future version of her friend looked like. Since the nurse had let it slip that Sesshoumaru knew her doctor, she'd been wondering if the elder brother had been watching her since childhood.

"She's bigger," he hedged. He wasn't supposed to let the miko know too much about the future. In fact, if he never uttered another word about it things would be better.

"Oh, well, yes, I suppose she would grow out of this form eventually. She's a very powerful demon in her own right." Kagome gave the nekomata a pet between the ears, earning a slow blink in return.

"Indeed," the physician said, grabbing at the explanation like a lifeline. Sighing, he stood back, satisfied with his perusal of the demon slayer. "And we're all done. I would say some more wholesome food and a few more days rest should find you back in shape. Try to keep your physical activity to light exercise in the meantime, my lady."

"We're done?" Sango asked, surprised. As soon as she stopped paying attention, the embarrassment had faded. "I mean, yes, of course, Doctor. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"I'm sorry for the difficulties I caused, sir."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I've found that there are patients of all kinds and each time is a new experience. Keeps me on my toes, so to speak."

"Thank you, Doctor. I thought for sure you'd never want to see Kagome as a patient again."

"Nonsense. Just take care, my ladies."

"Certainly. Come on, Sango, let's go get something to eat."

"Wholesome food!" he called after them, watching as they exited the inner portion of his office. "Thank the gods they're gone," he said quietly. He really needed to consider retirement. Maybe he needed to take on an apprentice and hand over the care of the Taisho clan to that person. Someone younger.

He was about to turn and collect his things when a rush of _youki_ reached his senses and he spun around. Kirara had transformed and was now sitting on both Miroku and Inuyasha. The doctor's hearing wasn't as acute as Inuyasha's but it was good enough to hear the priestess' words.

"What do you know, it works. We'll have to remember that."

"Thank you, Kirara. You can let them up now."

Hearing the arguments that followed, the doctor shuffled down the hallway, resisting the urge to bang his head against the wall. Yes, he really needed to retire.

His sanity demanded it.


	13. Chapter 13

_A/N: A list of people to thank for reviews: __**mashiro. **__, __**xxdarienchibaloverxx**__, __**Rukia's Reflection**__, __**theladycash**__, __**SilverontheRose**__, __**Edward and Bella rule x**__, __**sohrem666**__, __**SilverStella**__, __**MissKitty35**__, __**Esha Napoleon**__, and __**Dragon and Sword Master**__. And thanks to all those who put this or its author on their lists._

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyright laws to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

_A Little Vacation_

_Ch. 13_

Tired and hungry, the inutachi made their way down city sidewalks, all of their accumulated energy having been used up at the doctor's office. Stomachs rumbled and the miko paused, wondering where she should take them for food. Inuyasha bumped lightly into her shoulder, the other two coming to a similar stop. "What'd you stop for?"

"I don't know about you three but I'm starved."

"It has been a long day, Kagome. Perhaps we should go back to the shrine and have dinner," Sango suggested, Kirara shifting in her purse. The nekomata was keeping a low profile.

"Mama would have already fed the boys. Ah, what about that place?" she asked, pointing to a restaurant that resembled a hole in the wall. "It has fresh ramen and other noodle dishes plus some very good meat selections. It's simple and quick."

"I'm all for quick," Miroku said, rubbing the back of his neck. It really had been a long day.

"Yeah, and simple is fine with me. Let's go, wench." Inuyasha snagged her wrist, leading her to the food he smelled. Fresh ramen was bound to be twice as good as the stuff in the cups she always brought back.

The chef greeted them with a smile, the proprietress seating them in a quiet corner. Gratefully they sank down, giving tired smiles to the older woman when she asked if they would like anything to drink. "Sake," Miroku pleaded, Inuyasha nodding in agreement.

"You're not old enough to have alcohol, Miroku," Kagome told the monk, seeing the surprise shocking him into alertness. "You have to be twenty in Japan to drink alcohol."

"But…"

"Sorry, young man, no can do. I would have to check your identification card so you can't get away with anything." The older woman almost felt sorry for the dark haired youth. He'd obviously had a trying day.

"Same goes for you too, Inuyasha."

"Keh, I'm…"

"You're younger than he is," Sango put in, asking for some tea.

"Mm-hmm. Saw your cards the other day. Sesshoumaru made sure you couldn't get up to any mischief while here."

"Remind me to thank him when we get home," Miroku muttered, his right hand flexing in irritation. "Some nice jasmine tea will be fine if you have it, ma'am."

"Very well," the older lady said, making a note on the small pad she had in her hand.

"Two green teas will be fine," Kagome said, indicating both her and Inuyasha. "We should be able to order when you get back."

"Take your time." Once they were alone, the young priestess turned on her male friends. "If you want some sake, wait until we get back to the shrine. I'm sure Gramps will share with you in exchange for some stories he can add to his collection. There are laws in this era that prevent drinking at too young an age. Or at least they're meant to. No public establishment is going to hand alcohol over to a minor. People aren't considered legal adults until they're twenty."

"When did that happen?" Miroku asked, checking his ID card just to be sure. His birthday had been fudged, of course, but doing the math, he was sadly written down as being eighteen, his true age.

"Some decades ago, I think. And I know you're a lot older than you look Inuyasha but your brother no doubt wanted to make sure your real identity was hidden. Just go with it."

Inuyasha scoffed and turned his attention to the colorful menu in front of him. Some of the kanji he recognized and with what he'd learned from staring over Kagome's shoulder, he was able to piece together enough of what it said to decide what he wanted.

Kagome quietly whispered the choices to her other friends, nodding in agreement when Sango asked if it was alright if Kirara has some shrimp tempura. The priestess gave the order to the proprietress when she returned, and sat back against the small partition afterwards with a sigh. "So glad today's over."

"Keh, don't you have that homework you're always complaining about still?" Inuyasha asked the young woman beside him.

She groaned, slumping sideways into his shoulder. "Thanks for the reminder."

"I can help you with your math, Kagome, don't worry. Now that I understand everything, it won't be a problem for me to tutor you." Sango caught Miroku's hand before it could wander too far and placed it firmly on the table, her nails dug into the back of his hand. "And I'm sure that Miroku wouldn't mind lending a hand with your Classical Japanese work."

"Thanks, guys. Actually, besides my math, the only thing I really have a problem with right now is my English."

"You're on your own for that, Kagome, sorry," Miroku pried Sango's nails away from his skin and slid his fingers between hers so that he was holding her hand. She blushed at the intimate gesture but relaxed when it appeared that the other two weren't paying attention to the exchange.

Inuyasha had noticed the slight flirtation but pretended not to as it would only mortify the slayer. The warmth on his shoulder grew as Kagome spent longer leaning against him and he shifted slightly so that her neck wasn't on an odd angle. "Oi, wench, the food's almost here," he told her, pink beginning to stain his cheeks.

"Okay…" Kagome replied, yawning partway through her agreement.

Kirara, also scenting food, snuck out of her charge's purse and hid herself from view as plates and bowls were set in front of the humans and half demon. She waited patiently for her shrimp to cool enough to eat and then daintily ate from the plate just as she did from the bowl Kagome had bought her. Under the table and out of sight, she ignored everything around her while she enjoyed the tasty treat.

"Well, our dear friend is enjoying herself," Miroku commented, the jasmine tea soothing despite his wish for sake.

"Good, she deserves it. So, Inuyasha, how's the fresh ramen?" Kagome asked, watching as her friend closed his gold eyes in wonder at the taste. "A lot different, huh?"

"A thousand times better," he replied, swallowing a large mouthful. "The runt's going to be pissed he missed this."

"We'll come back with him before we leave." The miko went back to her meal, pleased that he was eating a lot slower than he normally did. He'd gotten used to taking his time when he ate at her house, knowing that he didn't have to guard his food. No one was going to steal it while in this era, unlike when he was alone in the Feudal Era.

"I'm truly pleased by this meal, Kagome," Sango said, taking a small sip of her tea before checking on her friend. Kirara had finished the first shrimp and was partway through the second.

"Indeed, it is very delicious," Miroku agreed, directing his comment at the older woman who came to check on them.

"Thank you, I will pass the compliments on to my husband. Please let me know if there's anything else I can get you." She went away with a smile, glad to see a group of young people enjoying a hearty meal. Many girls nowadays didn't eat enough to keep a bird alive in her opinion. That two of them were at her table clearly enjoying what was put in front of them was a relief. The two young men with them seemed to be equally as hungry.

When she returned to them fifteen minutes later, every plate and bowl had been cleaned, not even a grain of rice or crumb of tempura batter to be seen. "My word," she uttered softly, placing the empty serving dishes onto a tray. "Would any of you care for dessert? I make a mean manju and dango."

"Dango?" Sango perked up.

"Manju sounds good. Give us two of each, please, ma'am." Kagome tried to stretch, the pain in her lower back not lessening no matter what she tried.

"As you wish. Any refills on the tea?" Four heads indicated a negative so the older woman left to fetch the traditional treats. When she returned, she placed them in the center of the table and went to tend to a couple that had just walked in.

The inutachi consumed their dessert with just as much dedication has they had dinner but at a slower pace. Kirara stuck her nose up at the offering, preferring to take a bath and climb back into Sango's purse for a post dinner nap. Drinks were finished off in short order and with reluctance, the four young warriors climbed to their feet for the walk back home.

Inuyasha gave Kagome a look of affectionate exasperation when the miko held her hand out for money, but he gladly forked over the much needed cash and waited with her while the proprietress gave them their change. Not expecting to get any of it back, he was surprised when his priestess let him keep the few coins that were returned.

"Gee, thanks," he said, amusement coloring his voice. The old man behind the counter gave him an understanding look and with a nod of acknowledgement the half demon joined his friends outside.

"All right, let's head home. Mama should be elbow deep in water by now trying to give Shippou a bath. Or she's mopping up water if she's managed to convince him to take one with Souta."

"We'll have boiled kitsune if your brother takes a bath with him."

"Too true," Kagome said, a laugh in her voice. "I like a hot bath as much as the next girl but Souta would rather cook himself."

"A bath sounds lovely right about now, Kagome," Sango said, sighing as she gazed around the streets.

"You can go first then, Sango. I'm going to try to do some of my homework before I get ready for bed. The guys can go after you if they want." Kagome yawned, not surprised when Inuyasha gave a huff and told her to climb onto his back. She spent the rest of the way home asleep, the soft pulse of his _youki_ brushing against her senses in a soothing rhythm.

Mama met them at the door, a mop in one hand and wet apron in the other. "Oh, dear, she's gone out like a light. Just put her on her bed, dear."

They followed her up the stairs, noticing damp places on the floor leading to and from the bathroom. "Ran around naked, did he?" Miroku asked, his senses telling him Shippou was sound asleep in Souta's room.

"I haven't had to chase a young child around the house like that in ages. Brings back so many memories," Mama mused. "I don't know what got into him."

"It's usually too much sugar," Sango replied, helping Inuyasha put Kagome down so that her skirt didn't expose anything it shouldn't.

"To my knowledge he hasn't had anything but that lollipop from the doctor. I wonder if Souta stashed some candy or junk food in his room and they ate it after dinner while playing video games. Hmm, I should investigate. Well, children, I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you to your own company for a bit. I still have wet floors to take care of. Father is closing up the gift shop if you want to keep him occupied further. I'd rather he didn't break something by slipping in the kitchen."

Inuyasha and Miroku lifted their heads in interest, Kagome's earlier words coming back to them. "Perhaps we should check on him," the monk mused, the idea of a hidden container of sake stashed somewhere making him more amendable to telling tales. "Excuse me, ladies." He turned around, his male friend on his heels as they left the females alone.

"My, I didn't think they liked Father's company," Mama said, glancing at Sango.

"I think they hope to find some sake."

"Oh, well, Father actually keeps that here in the house but I'm sure there's a bottle or two of it stashed away somewhere out there. I try to keep his consumption of it down. So long as they don't drink to excess. Anyway, I cleaned up the bathroom so you should be able to take a bath without trouble. We'll just let Kagome sleep for a little longer. Rouse her up when you're all done, won't you, Sango, dear?"

"Certainly, Higurashi-san," the slayer replied and watched in slight bemusement as the priestess' mother left. Kirara found a place to her liking on Kagome's pillow and Sango left the two to snooze in quiet contentment.

Upon her return she found Kagome rubbing her eyes and her math book open in front of her. "Say, Sango, where did the guys go?"

"Last I knew they were hoping to beg some sake off of your grandfather."

"And Mama let them?"

"She didn't seem too concerned so long as they didn't drink enough to actually become drunk."

"Huh, never figured Inuyasha for a sake drinker."

"I rather doubt he is normally but today was rather traumatic for him." Sango sat on the edge of her friend's bed and began the long process of drying her hair.

"Ah, yes, I'd forgotten about that. Well, if we find them sound asleep underneath the Goshinboku in the morning, we'll know."

"Know what?" the older girl asked, confused about what Kagome meant.

"Whether they got drunk or not. Mama won't let them in the house if they are. She'll make them sleep outside."

"What about your grandfather, isn't he too old to sleep outside?"

"Normally, but it's been good weather lately so she'll probably punish him that way too. I don't know why she does it really but it seems to work. Gramps usually only gets tipsy nowadays."

"Huh. Your mother gets more mysterious the longer I know her."

"You're telling me."

* * *

><p>Mama came to say goodnight almost two hours later, her own bath having passed in blissful silence. She'd already locked up downstairs and was making her nightly check on her children before bed. Kagome was tucked securely in her bed, arms flung out to the side and a soft smile on her face. Sango was equally as quiet, her breathing even and unhampered by nightmares. Kirara sat on the edge of the desk, her ruby gaze going between the elder Higurashi woman and the window.<p>

"Still at it, are they? Guess it's time to teach them a lesson." Going over to the window Inuyasha liked to crawl through, Mama hooked the latch, making it impossible to open from the outside. "Keep an eye out, will you, Kirara? I wouldn't want the boys to think I don't care."

"Mew," the nekomata replied, amused at the woman's behavior. No doubt the two male kittens she watched over would try to sneak in through the second story when they discovered they couldn't get in the door.

"All right, then. Good night."

"Mew."

Mama left the demon cat to her guard duty, snuggling into her bed and drifting into an easy sleep. She wondered what they'd do when they figured out what she'd done.

* * *

><p>Long past midnight a drunk Inuyasha and Miroku were supporting an equally smashed Shinto priest in an attempt to return to the house and their beds without disturbing anyone. There were no lights on so they'd come to a muddled conclusion that the girls were asleep and they both knew what kind of damage they'd inflict if they were woken up unnecessarily.<p>

"I think it's locked, Inuyasha," Miroku stated, trying the latch both ways just to make sure it wasn't his uncoordinated movements that were making things difficult.

"Really? That's rather odd. Maybe Higurashi-okaasan thought we had come in already. Let's put the old guy under the tree and climb in through the window. Kagome always leaves it unlocked for me. We'll come back for her grandfather after that."

A muddled monk mind thought the plan was solid and Miroku allowed himself to be helped up to the window. "Oh, there's Kirara. She must have been waiting for us."

The fire cat looked back at them, waiting until they found out that they couldn't open the window no matter how much they fumbled about before doing anything. Giving a lazy stretch, she jumped onto the narrow ledge, watching with amusement as they momentarily lost their balance. After one lick of her paw she pretended to pounce, delighted beyond belief when they flailed a bit and fell to the ground.

"You know, Inuyasha," Miroku began, a hiccup interrupting his words. "I think we were locked out on purpose." He was too out of it to feel any pain but he was sure there would be bruises in the morning.

"Ya think? What was your first clue?" the half demon asked, able to hear the chirped lecture floating down from above. Even drunk and through glass, he could hear Kirara's scolding perfectly.

"It might have been when I hit my head on this hard surface but I'll get back to you on that when I can think clearly."

"Sounds like a plan. We should probably move. Go lay under the tree or something."

"Sure, let's just wait until the world stops spinning. The stars are making me dizzy."

"Agreed."

They never made it to the Goshinboku.


End file.
